A gynaecological complication of polymyalgia rheumatica/giant cell arteritis

Giant Cell Arteritis of the Female Genital Tract With Occult Temporal Arteritis and Marginal Zone Lymphoma Harboring Novel 20q Deletion

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is an immunologically mediated vasculitis of large and medium-sized vessels, typically affecting the cranial arteries and usually occurring in the elderly. GCA of the female genital tract is extremely rare with only 31 cases reported in the English literature. An 83-year-old white female with postmenopausal vaginal bleeding revealed an endometrial polyp on pelvic ultrasonography following which polypectomy and subsequently hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy was done. Microscopy revealed a well-differentiated endometrioid adenocarcinoma. Interestingly, classic GCA involving numerous small to medium-sized arteries of the cervix, myometrium, bilateral fallopian tubes, and ovaries was also identified. Hematologic evaluation revealed marginal zone lymphoma with an exceptionally rare 20q deletion. Bilateral temporal artery biopsy was done subsequently, which exhibited GCA on microscopy. Corticosteroid was started that improved her polymyalgia rheumatica symptoms. The patient is on follow-up for 3 years and is doing well. To our knowledge, this is the first case of GCA of the female genital tract associated with a lymphoma and the second case of marginal zone lymphoma with the novel 20q deletion.

Gynecologic vasculitis: an analysis of 163 patients

Gynecologic vasculitis (GynV) has been reported as part of systemic vasculitis (SGynV) and as single-organ (isolated gynecologic) vasculitis (IGynV). In the current study, we analyzed the clinical and histologic characteristics of patients with GynV and sought to identify features that differentiate the isolated from the systemic forms of the disease. We used pathology databases from our institution and an English-language literature search (PubMed) to identify affected patients with biopsy-proven GynV. Using a standardized format for data gathering and analysis, we recorded clinical manifestations, laboratory and histologic features, and surgical and medical therapies. Patients were analyzed as 2 subsets: IGynV and SGynV.A total of 163 patients with GynV were included (152 from the literature and 11 from the Cleveland Clinic pathology database). The incidence of vasculitis among all gynecologic surgeries in our institution over 16 years was 0.15%. Half of the patients presented with vaginal bleeding. Other less common presentations included the finding of an asymptomatic abdominal mass, uterine prolapse, atypical cervical smear, and pelvic pain. Constitutional and musculoskeletal symptoms were reported in 24% of patients. One hundred fifteen (70.6%) patients had IGynV, and 48 (29.4%) had SGynV. Compared to patients with SGynV, those with IGynV were younger (median age, 51 yr; range, 18-80 yr vs. median, 68 yr; range, 32-83 yr; p = 0.0001) and presented more often with vaginal bleeding (57% vs. 25%; p = 0.0002) and less frequently with asymptomatic pelvic masses (6% vs. 35%; p = 0.0001). IGynV was less often associated with constitutional or musculoskeletal symptoms (7% vs. 74%; p = 0.0001). Patients with IGynV were much less likely to have abnormal erythrocyte sedimentation rates (26% vs. 97%; p = 0.0001) and anemia (17% vs. 80%; p = 0.0001) than patients with SGynV. None of the patients with IGynV received corticosteroids, whereas almost all patients with SGynV received corticosteroids and about one-third also received cytotoxic therapy. In IGynV, the site most often involved was the uterus, particularly the cervix, whereas in SGynV lesions were more often multifocal, affecting mainly ovaries, fallopian tubes, and myometrium. Nongranulomatous inflammation occurred in most patients with IGynV, while the predominant histologic pattern noted in SGynV was granulomatous.While vasculitis was the only lesion in 32% of the resected specimens, leiomyomas (18.4%) and endometrial carcinoma (8.3%) were the most frequent concomitant benign and malignant (nonvasculitic) lesions, respectively. Except for benign ovarian abnormalities, which were more frequent in SGynV than in IGynV (21% vs. 4%; p = 0.001), other benign (50%) and malignant (18%) conditions were similarly present in both groups. Among SGynV patients, giant cell arteritis was diagnosed in 29 of the 48 (60.4%) patients, and one-third presented without symptoms of vascular involvement or polymyalgia rheumatica. In summary, GynV is rare and most often occurs as a single-organ disease. It is usually an incidental finding in the course of surgery. The isolated form is associated with the absence of systemic symptoms and normal acute phase reactants, and does not require systemic therapy. Among systemic vasculitides, giant cell arteritis is the most frequently reported form of systemic vasculitis with gynecologic involvement.

Asymptomatic Giant-Cell (Temporal) Arteritis Involving the Bilateral Adnexa

Giant-cell arteritis involving the bilateral adnexa was identified incidentally in a bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy specimen obtained as a result of an ovarian cyst in a 75-year-old woman. Although the patient was asymptomatic, extensive giant-cell arteritis was present in the ovaries, paraovarian tissue, and fallopian tubes along with Brenner tumors of the ovaries. This finding prompted a temporal artery biopsy that revealed typical temporal arteritis. Giant-cell arteritis rarely involves the female genital tract and may present as an isolated form or a part of systemic disease. We discuss female genital tract giant-cell arteritis with a review of the English literature.

Giant Cell Arteritis of the Female Genital Tract: Report of a Case and Review of the Literature

A 65-year-old female presented with constitutional symptoms of fever and weight loss with bilateral adnexal masses on physical examination. Total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy were performed and subsequently revealed giant cell arteritis involving numerous small arteries in the ovaries, fallopian tubes, paraovarian and paratubal soft tissues, myometrium, and cervix. After surgery, the patient continued to have constitutional symptoms. Corticosteroid therapy led to a significant improvement and eventual resolution of symptoms. Several similar cases of giant cell arteritis of the female genital tract have been described, both with and without concomitant temporal arteritis. Implications for diagnosis and treatment are discussed.

Systemic vasculitis presenting as a tumorlike lesion. Four case reports and an analysis of 79 reported cases

Systemic vasculitis might present as a tumorlike lesion that initially could misdirect the correct diagnosis and the appropriate medical treatment. The aim of the present study is to summarize all reported cases of tumorlike presentation in systemic vasculitides, in order to have comprehensive data on the characteristics of this unusual phenomenon. We report 4 cases of systemic vasculitis presenting as a tumorlike lesion. In addition, we performed a MEDLINE search of all English-language papers published from 1966 to 1999, looking for vasculitis presenting as tumorlike lesion. Details were included concerning vasculitis classification, specific characteristics, location of the "tumor," the presence or absence of systemic involvement, and whether surgery was performed before diagnosis. Seventy-nine cases of vasculitis presenting as a tumorlike lesion were found in the literature, in addition to the 4 new cases described. The average age of the reported cases was 50.5 +/- 15.8 years, and 51% were female. In 82% of the cases the "tumor" was associated with constitutional symptoms and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). The most common vasculitis categories with tumorlike presentation were Wegener granulomatosis (WG; 28 cases) and giant cell arteritis (GCA; 17 cases). In almost half the patients, surgery was performed before diagnosis. All patients with GCA presented with either a breast or an ovarian tumor. The most common location of a tumorlike lesion was the breast (22%), followed by central nervous system lesions (16%). Other frequent locations were the ovary (10%), caused exclusively by GCA and polyarteritis nodosa (PAN), and the male genitourinary system, almost all caused by PAN. Including vasculitis in the differential diagnosis of a tumorlike lesion might lead to an earlier diagnosis and consequently to prompt and appropriate treatment, avoiding needless operations. Constitutional symptoms and elevated ESR should alert clinicians to the possible diagnosis of vasculitis rather than a tumor. The association of GCA with ovarian pseudotumor is distinct and has not been emphasized before. We therefore suggest that GCA should be included in the list of differential diagnosis of an ovarian or breast tumor in an elderly woman, particularly when systemic symptoms and parameters of inflammation are present.

Giant cell arteritis of the uterus: case report and review

We here report a rare case of giant cell arteritis (GCA) of the myometrium found incidentally in a 68-year-old Caucasian woman presenting with uterovaginal prolapse and a known past history of temporal arteritis/polymyalgia rheumatica. Histology revealed a segmental arteritis of small, medium and some quite large myometrial arteries with extensive destruction of both internal and external elastic laminae. Multinucleate giant cells, lymphocytes and histiocytes were most prominent in the inflammatory infiltrate. The findings in this case are compared with previous reports. In a review of the literature it was found that almost one third of cases presented with generalised symptoms such as fever, anemia, fatigue and weight loss. The symptoms were not immediately recognised as temporal arteritis or polymyalgia rheumatica. On routine physical examination or radiological investigation, benign gynecological pathology such as a simple ovarian cyst or uterine leiomyoma were found. The subsequent unexpected discovery of GCA on histological examination was the critical event in alerting clinicians to the diagnosis of temporal arteritis/polymyalgia rheumatica. Without exception steroid therapy was successful in achieving relief of generalised symptoms.

Giant-cell arteritis of the ovarian arteries with associated temporal arteritis

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Giant cell arteritis of the female genital tract with temporal arteritis

The clinical and pathological features of a patient with giant cell arteritis of the uterus and ovaries are described. A 61 year old woman had fever and weight loss over a period of eight months. A hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy was performed for a large cystic ovarian mass. Histological examination showed a benign ovarian cyst and unexpected giant cell arteritis affecting numerous small to medium sized arteries in the ovaries and myometrium. The diagnosis of temporal arteritis was confirmed by a random temporal artery biopsy, despite the absence of symptoms of temporal arteritis. This observation is compared with previously reported cases and the relation between granulomatous arteritis of the genital tract and temporal arteritis is discussed. The main differential diagnosis in this localisation was represented by Wegener's granulomatosis and periarteritis nodosa.