Published online Feb 26, 2019. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v7.i4.525
Peer-review started: October 10, 2018
First decision: November 27, 2018
Revised: December 22, 2018
Accepted: December 29, 2018
Article in press: December 30, 2018
Published online: February 26, 2019
Primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma is rare and reported sporadically, with less than 40 such cases have been reported in the English-language literature. Although it is reported to be associated with acquired immune deficiency syndrome, Epstein-Barr virus infection, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, immunosuppression after organ transplantation, and hepatitis C virus-related liver cirrhosis, the precise steps leading to leiomyosarcoma have not been fully identified. Therapeutic strategies include liver wedge resection or lobectomy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and liver transplantation; however, the prognosis of primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma is dismal.
We describe here the first case of primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma successfully treated by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). The patient was a 68-year-old woman who presented with right upper quadrant pain and weight loss over the past 5 wk before admission. Abdominal computed tomography (commonly known as CT) and ultrasonography showed a mixed echoic mass measuring about 10 cm × 7 cm occupying the right lobe of the liver. Exploratory laparotomy was performed 1 wk after admission. The tumor was unresectable and biopsy was performed. Based on rapid frozen-section and histopathological examination, a final diagnosis of primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma was established. TACE was performed 2 wk later. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged on day 7 after the operation. Contrast-enhanced CT showed that the tumor significantly shrunk with satisfactory lipiodol deposition. The patient has been followed up for 82 mo until now, and no progressive enlargement of the tumor or distal metastasis was observed.
TACE is a safe and effective treatment for primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma. The therapeutic effect of TACE combined with surgical resection should be further assessed.
Core tip: Primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma is rare and reported sporadically. We here describe the first case of primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma successfully treated with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (commonly known as TACE). The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged on day 7 after the operation. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed that the tumor significantly shrunk with satisfactory lipiodol deposition. The patient has been followed up for 82 mo until now, and no progressive enlargement of the tumor or distal metastasis was observed. This case indicates that TACE is a safe and effective treatment for primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma.