| OBJECTIVE: Malignant transformation of endometriosis has been well documented. Endometrioid adenocarcinoma is the most common malignancy to occur in this setting, although other carcinomas and rarely stromal tumors can be seen. We present the first case in the literature of adenosarcoma, a rare mixed mullerian or mesodermal tumor, arising in extrauterine vaginal endometriosis. CASE: A 42-year-old woman underwent multiple medical therapies and surgeries for aggressive endometriosis. A pelvic exenteration was abandoned secondary to severe fibrosis, and low-dose radiotherapy was used to control bleeding from vaginal endometriosis. The pathologic diagnosis of recurrent endometriosis was confirmed multiple times over her 4-year course. Excision of a recurrent vaginal mass revealed adenosarcoma with heterologous elements. CONCLUSION: It is important to biopsy or excise recurrent endometriosis, as malignant transformation can occur, giving rise to epithelial, stromal, or mixed epithelial-mesenchymal tumors. ( info) |
2/68. endometriosis-associated intestinal tumors: a clinical and pathological study of 6 cases with a review of the literature. This clinicopathologic study of primary Mullerian tumors of the bowel arising in foci of endometriosis is based on six new cases and an analysis of 17 previously reported cases. Varieties of Mullerian tumors occur in the bowel; the most common types are endometrioid carcinoma, followed by various mixed Mullerian tumors and stromal sarcomas. Seventy-eight percent develop in the rectosigmoid colon, the remaining in the cecum or ileum. Those in the latter area tend to be sarcomas or mixed Mullerian tumors. Certain architectural growth characteristics, derived from precursor endometriosis, are common to most endometriosis-associated intestinal tumors (EAITs). Seventy percent of EAITs occur in the outer bowel wall. Transmural tumors tend to form luminal polyps and assume an hourglass shape. Metachronous or synchronous Mullerian tumors occur in 39% of cases. Seventy percent of women with EAITs are in their mid 30s to early 50s. Common presenting symptoms are abdominal or pelvic pain, melena, and an abdominal or pelvic mass. Documented in 26% of patients is a history of prolonged unopposed estrogen therapy. Only 28.5% of cases die of their tumors, but follow-up is less than 5 years in all but 2 patients. ( info) |
3/68. Management of uterine Mullerian adenosarcoma with extrauterine metastatic deposits. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to provide the management and outcome of three patients who presented with uterine Mullerian adenosarcoma associated with extrauterine metastases. methods: A retrospective study of three patients who were referred to our hospital was performed. One patient was referred because of vaginal metastatic deposits that were noted during investigations for primary infertility. The other two were referred because of abnormal vaginal bleeding; one of these had a large polyp protruding through her cervix into the vagina. RESULTS: In two patients the preoperative diagnosis and extent of their disease were known while in the third patient the diagnosis was only made postoperatively. All patients had a type II radical abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and omentectomy. Two patients were given three cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and pelvic irradiation over 12 weeks. Both of these patients had their diagnosis made preoperatively and the chemotherapy consisted of 240 mg/m(2) carboplatin and 80 mg/m(2) farmorubicin per cycle. The pelvic irradiation consisted of daily fractions of 1.8-Gy irradiation to a total of 45 Gy over the first 6 weeks. The other patient was given the same regime postoperatively. All patients are still alive and free of disease between 34 and 56 months. CONCLUSION: Radical surgery, chemotherapy, and irradiation provide a management option with seemingly favorable outcome for patients with uterine Mullerian adenosarcoma associated with extrauterine metastases. ( info) |
4/68. Extrauterine Mullerian adenosarcoma of the peritoneum with an extensive rhabdomyosarcomatous element and a marked myxoid change. A case of extrauterine Mullerian adenosarcoma of the peritoneum in a 20-year-old woman is reported. The tumor was widely based on the abdominopelvic wall and there were no unusual features in the genital organs. The cut surface of the tumor showed a marked gelatinous appearance. The tumor was composed of an admixture of benign Mullerian-type epithelium and sarcomatous stroma. The predominant element of the sarcomatous area was rhabdomyosarcoma, which showed a close resemblance to well-differentiated embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. In another sarcomatous area, fibroblastic cells without myoblastic properties diffusely proliferated in a marked myxoid background with some collagen bundles. Both the mitotic count and Ki-67 proliferative index of these cells were lower than those of rhabdomyoblastic cells. On follow up, the patient was disease free for 1 year postoperatively, without any subsequent treatment. The present case indicates that extrauterine adenosarcoma can also show histological heterogeneity as do uterine adenosarcomas. The remarkable myxoid change of this tumor seemed to be more largely due to a fibromyxoid element than a rhabdomyosarcomatous element, and the coexistence of the former may be related to the less aggressive behavior of this tumor. ( info) |
5/68. Mullerian adenosarcoma of the uterus with sarcomatous overgrowth following tamoxifen treatment for breast cancer. Mullerian adenosarcoma with sarcomatous overgrowth presented by a 52-year-old female patient after adjuvant tamoxifen treatment for breast carcinoma is described. The diagnosis was made on histological basis after curettage and complementary total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. The immunohistochemical study showed high expression of estrogen receptors in the epithelial component of the lesion and irregularly positive findings in the stroma. The proliferative activity evaluated by Ki-67 immunoexpression was higher in the stroma than the epithelium. Some of the stromal cells showed rhabdomyoblastic differentiation. The association of tamoxifen use and development of mesenchymal neoplasms is discussed. ( info) |
6/68. Adenomyofibroma of the endometrium with skeletal muscle differentiation. A case of adenomyofibroma with skeletal muscle differentiation is described. A 55-year-old asymptomatic woman had atypical glandular cells of undetermined significance on a routine Papanicolaou smear. The endometrial biopsy revealed fragments composed of benign endometrial glands and myofibromatous stroma with foci of skeletal muscle differentiation. The stroma exhibited focal mild cytologic atypia and hypercellularity without periglandular cuffing or mitoses. Electron microscopy and immunohistochemical staining for myoglobin confirmed the skeletal muscle differentiation. A diagnosis of low-grade adenosarcoma with heterologous differentiation was made in the biopsy specimen based on the atypical stroma, the skeletal muscle differentiation, and previous observations that adenosarcomas may contain bland areas indistinguishable from an adenofibroma. The patient underwent hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and pelvic lymphadenectomy. The hysterectomy specimen revealed small foci of residual tumor. In light of these findings the diagnosis was revised to adenomyofibroma with skeletal muscle differentiation. Uterine adenomyofibroma with skeletal muscle differentiation should be distinguished from a low-grade adenosarcoma in an endometrial biopsy. ( info) |
| We report a case of adenosarcoma arising in hepatic endometriosis. Both CT and MR scans demonstrated a huge heterogeneous mass containing septated, thick-walled cystic lesions. After enlarged right hepatectomy, the patient was asymptomatic with no abnormalities at liver and abdominal CT scan at 2-year follow-up. ( info) |
8/68. Pancreatic duct cell carcinoma with positive 111In octreotide uptake. Duct cell adenocarcinomas may produce neuroendocrine markers such as pancreatic polypeptide, gastrin and gastrin releasing hormones. A 53 year old patient, with a history of insulin dependent diabetes, was found to have a pancreatic mass which was later pathologically demonstrated to be a duct cell adenocarcinoma. The tumor produced elevated circulating neuroendocrine markers specifically gastrin and pancreatic polypeptides. An 111In octreotide imaging showed definite uptake of octreotide by the tumor. The patient was subsequently treated with somatostatin analog which resulted in the reduction of some of the circulating endocrine markers. The patient had essentially six months of asymptomatic clinical remission but then she relapsed. octreotide scanning could be useful for selected patients with pathologic diagnosis of duct cell adenocarcinoma, because some tumors may have neuroendocrine features and can be imaged, and might even respond to somatostatin analog therapy. ( info) |
| Mullerian adenosarcoma of the uterus is a biphasic tumor exhibiting benign epithelial and malignant stromal component. This tumor may occasionally be associated with tamoxifen therapy which is used as an adjuvant drug for breast carcinoma. Reviewing the literature, we found only 12 adenosarcoma cases associated with tamoxifen therapy Thus, the clinical and pathological findings in a 58 years old postmenopausal woman who developed uterine adenosarcoma, following low dose tamoxifen therapy after 8 years, was discussed in this report. ( info) |
| Mullerian adenosarcoma--a variant of mullerian mixed mesodermal tumor of the uterus--is typically composed of benign but sometimes mildly atypical glandular epithelial elements admixed with malignant sarcomatous stroma. This rare tumor, which accounts for only about 8% of all uterine sarcomas, usually originates in the endometrium and grows as a polypoid mass within the endometrial cavity. The most prevailing presenting symptom is abnormal vaginal bleeding and the most common finding is a polypoid mass protruding through a dilated cervical canal. The case of a woman, who at age 62 presented with symptoms and signs of acute pelvic inflammatory disease and on vaginal examination an infected mullerian adenosarcoma protruding through a dilated cervical canal was discovered, is reported. Treatment consisted of extensive antibiotic treatment and surgery comprised of total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy followed by postoperative adjuvant pelvic radiotherapy. One year later, the patient is alive with no evidence of disease. ( info) |