Benign metastasizing leiomyoma

Lung. 2008 Jul-Aug;186(4):271-273. doi: 10.1007/s00408-008-9084-8. Epub 2008 Mar 21.

Abstract

A 41-year-old woman presented with chest pain and a cough. There was a solitary pulmonary nodule in the upper-left lobe. The patient had no history of neoplasm except a hysterectomy for uterine leiomyoma five years before. Six months after the first presentation, the tumor showed a gradual increase in size; an explorative thoracotomy was performed. The histopathologic examination showed a tumor consisting of well-differentiated spindle-shaped cells with intervening collagen. She was readmitted 8 months after the operation because of right-sided spontaneous pneumothorax. Multiple pulmonary nodules appeared when the lung was re-expanded by chest tube drainage. In conclusion, uterine leiomyomas can metastasize to various organs, such as lungs, despite having a benign pathologic appearance.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Chest Tubes
  • Drainage / instrumentation
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hysterectomy
  • Leiomyoma / pathology*
  • Leiomyoma / surgery
  • Lung Neoplasms / secondary*
  • Lung Neoplasms / surgery
  • Positron-Emission Tomography
  • Thoracotomy
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Uterine Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Uterine Neoplasms / surgery