Leiomyosarcoma of the ileum presenting as a pelvic mass

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the characteristics of patients presenting with pelvic mass and diagnosed with sarcoma of the ileum at laparotomy. A retrospective review of patients' files and pathology reports was made. Five cases of leiomyosarcoma of the ileum constituted 0.7% of 728 new cases with a final pathologic diagnosis of gynecologic or other pelvic malignancy. The median age of the 5 patients was 58 years. All patients presented with a pelvic mass and underwent ileal resection with end-to-end anastomosis. Two patients with disseminated tumors at the time of initial surgery died of their disease, and those with early-stage tumors remained alive and tumor free. It is concluded that ileal leiomyosarcomas may show signs and symptoms of ovarian carcinoma. Gynecologic oncologists should have an understanding of these pathologic entities and their natural history and be ready to perform the necessary surgical procedures for these small bowel tumors.