Hemorrhagic polypoid gastric and colonic metastases nine years after uterine leiomyosarcoma - case report.

INTRODUCTION: Uterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS) is a rare tumor, representing 1-2% of all uterine malignancies. It is highly aggressive, with high metastatic rate, especially in lungs, peritoneal cavity, retroperitoneum, bones and liver, usually during the first years after diagnosis.

CASE PRESENTATION: A 58-year-old woman, with subtotal hysterectomy and bilateral adnexectomy, followed by radiochemotherapy for spindle-type ULMS nine years ago, presented with gastrointestinal bleeding and severe anemia. Three polyps ranging from 2 cm to 5 cm in diameter were found at gastroscopy, the largest being ulcerated, which required a total gastrectomy three months later. Colonoscopy identified two pedunculated polyps on the descending colon, 2 cm and 3.5 cm in diameter. Histologically, both sites revealed proliferations of spindle cells with whorled pattern, moderate to severe nuclear atypia, 5 to 8 mitotic figures (MFs)÷10 high-power fields (HPFs) and additional necrosis in the gastric tumors. Immunohistochemistry was negative for CD117, DOG1, S100 and CD34 and positive for smooth muscle actin (SMA), estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR). Twenty percent of nuclei stained positive for Ki67. The diagnosis was synchronous hemorrhagic gastric and colonic polypoid metastases of ULMS. Thoracic computed tomography (CT) and abdominal ultrasonography were negative for other metastatic lesions, while abdominal CT revealed abdominal and pelvic lymphadenopathy.

CONCLUSIONS: This case illustrates a distinct pattern of metastasis that is an extremely rare gastric and colonic location and an expanded disease-free period of nine years since the initial treatment. A long-term clinical and imaging follow-up of this patient is essential.