Extrapulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis complicated by vesicovaginal fistula

Extrapulmonary uterine lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) and dysfunctional uterine bleeding: the first presentation of LAM in a tuberous sclerosis complex patient

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare disease that typically affects women of childbearing age. It most commonly affects the lungs (P-LAM) but can occasionally occur in extra-pulmonary sites (E-LAM). There is a strong association between LAM and the tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). We report a case of a 42-year-old female TSC sufferer who presented with dysfunctional uterine bleeding. She was not known to have LAM. An endometrial biopsy revealed a spindled-cell lesion suspicious of leiomyosarcoma, which correlated with cross-sectional imaging. She underwent a hysterectomy that showed a bizarre (symplastic) leiomyomatous endometrial polyp with background uterine LAM. We discuss the clinical and pathological implications of this unusual case of E-LAM and the importance of clinicopathological correlation in TSC sufferers. The association of uterine LAM with TSC is important and LAM should be considered as a differential of dysfunctional uterine bleeding and a benign mimic to uterine leiomyosarcoma in patients with TSC.

A case of lymphangioleiomyomatosis associated with endometrial cancer and severe systemic lupus erythematosus

Background

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare idiopathic disorder that occurs in women of childbearing age, and consists of a diffuse proliferation of abnormal smooth muscle cells along the thoracic and abdominal lymphogenous route.

Case presentation

We experienced a case of a 47-yo woman with recent history of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) diagnosed with endometrial cancer, initially suspected to have metastasized to pelvic and para-aortic lymph nodes based on preoperative diagnostic imaging. Subsequent pathological diagnosis revealed stage IB endometrial cancer without evidence of lymph node involvement. Instead, enlarged pelvic and para-aortic lymph nodes were found to be due to extrapulmonary LAM, from a primary lesion found inside the uterine myometrium. SLE improved after surgery.

Conclusion

This is the first reported case of comorbid endometrial cancer, SLE, and aggressive LAM metastasizing to regional lymph nodes, and strengthens the clinical evidence for a common role of mTOR pathway hyperactivity and estrogen responsiveness in the pathophysiology of metastasizing lesions of the genital tract.