Intravenous leiomyomatosis with intracardiac extension depicted on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans: A report of two cases and a review of the literature

Update on clinical characteristics and molecular insights for uterine intravenous leiomyomatosis (Review)

Intravenous leiomyomatosis (IVL) is a rare benign disease, which typically develops along vascular vessels and extends to the inferior vena cava and right atrium of the heart. In the early stages of the disease, the clinical manifestations and the results of imaging examinations are not uniform among patients. Thus, a high rate of misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis is common. When the tumor extends along the venous system to the pelvic floor vein or through the inferior vena cava involving the right atrium of the heart or the pulmonary artery, severe symptoms occur, such as ascites, dyspnea, heart failure and even sudden mortality. Improving the understanding of IVL to identify and evaluate this disease in its early stages is important. Complete tumor resection remains the primary treatment option for IVL. The recurrence rate of the disease varies depending on multiple factors, such as type of surgical procedure performed. Therefore, long-term follow-up is necessary for patients with IVL. The review of recent findings on the molecular and clinicopathological characterization of IVL is important to understand the pathogenesis of IVL. In the present study, the clinical manifestations, pathogenesis, differential diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of IVL are summarized in order to provide a single source of insightful information on IVL.

A 10-year experience of leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava

OBJECTIVES

Leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava (IVC) is rare. The study reviewed patients with IVC leiomyosarcoma in our hospital in the past ten years.

METHODS

Twenty patients diagnosed with IVC leiomyosarcoma between October 2010 and October 2020 were enrolled. Their clinical manifestations, treatments, and follow-up results were analyzed.

RESULTS

The sarcoma was located in the lower IVC segment in six patients, with 13 in the middle and one in the upper IVC segment. Eighteen patients underwent R0 resection. After resection, 16 patients (80%) had primary repair of the IVC, while four patients underwent ligation. During a mean follow-up of 37.7 months, seven patients died due to tumor metastasis, four patients were alive with the tumor recurrence and other nine patients were alive without recurrence.

CONCLUSION

The management of the IVC after tumor resection depended on the tumor location and size. R0 resection provided a chance for long term survival.

Surgical treatment of intravenous leiomyomatosis involving the right heart: a case series

Objective

This study was performed to investigate the surgical treatment of intravenous leiomyomatosis involving the right heart.

Methods

The clinical data of five patients with intracardiac leiomyomatosis treated from April 2002 to October 2017 at a single center were retrospectively analyzed.

Results

All five patients underwent successful intravenous and right atrial tumor removal via abdominal and inferior vena cava incisions. In three patients, these incisions were combined with thoracotomy and a right atrial incision, and in two patients, they were combined with uterine and bilateral fallopian tube and ovarian resection. One patient with advanced disease underwent a one-stage procedure and died thereafter. Of the remaining four patients who underwent follow-up for 1.5 to 12.0 years, one developed recurrence at 1 year postoperatively. The recurrent tumor, which was pathologically confirmed to be an intravenous leiomyoma, was removed via inferior vena cava and internal iliac vein incisions without subsequent recurrence.

Conclusions

The main treatment goal for inferior vena cava leiomyomas involving the right heart is to first address the severe obstruction of cardiac blood flow and then pursue second-stage surgery. Concurrent thoracotomy appears unnecessary because moderately sized right heart tumors can be gently removed via the inferior vena cava.

A Novel Diagnostic Strategy Using 16α-[18F]-Fluoro-17-β-Estradiol (18F-FES) PET/MRI to Achieve Complete Resection of Intravenous Leiomyomatosis in Reproductive-Age Women

Intravenous leiomyomatosis is a life-threatening leiomyoma that grows into the extrauterine venous system. A high recurrence rate has been reported in reproductive-age women who undergo only tumor excision to preserve fertility. Precise diagnosis of tumor extension is essential to achieve complete resection. A 24-year-old woman presented with hypermenorrhea. Contrast-enhanced MRI showed an intramural myoma with worm-like extension into the right parametrium. F-FES PET/MRI accurately depicted the extension with strong FES activity into the right uterine vein, whereas F-FDG PET/MRI excluded the possibility of malignancy. These modalities can be a novel strategy to manage such cases of intractable intravenous leiomyomatosis.