Benign Metastasizing Leiomyoma: New insights into a rare disease with an obscure etiopathogenesis

Diagn Pathol. 2024 Jan 3;19(1):2. doi: 10.1186/s13000-023-01427-4.

Abstract

Background: Benign metastasizing leiomyoma (BML) is a rare disease with an unknown etiopathogenesis that mostly affects middle-aged women with uterine leiomyoma. Many metastatic nodules outside the uterus characterize the condition. The metastases are smooth muscle lesions without malignancy. Morphologically and immunohistochemically, they resemble uterine leiomyomas, indicating a shared clonal origin. The lungs are the most prevalent site for incidental metastasis detection. BML has a relatively slow progression and good prognosis, and historically, there has been a lack of established guidelines for its treatment.

Case presentation: Herein, we report a case of BML in a patient with multiple metastases. Through extensive histological and immunohistochemical analyses, this complex case enabled not only the definitive diagnosis of BML, but also shed light on its complex etiopathogenesis.

Conclusion: This study presents novel histology evidence suggesting a potential causal relationship between metaplasia and the development of BML.

Keywords: Benign Metastasizing Leiomyoma; Coelomic tissue; Ethiopathogenesis; Metaplasia.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Female
  • Humans
  • Leiomyoma* / pathology
  • Lung Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Middle Aged
  • Rare Diseases
  • Uterine Neoplasms* / pathology