Uterine leiomyosarcoma metastatic to the brain: case report.

BACKGROUND

We report a leiomyosarcoma of the uterus, an uncommon tumor with a very aggressive course and poor prognosis due to the fact that, despite complete resection, it recurs with micrometastases. The most common metastatic sites are the lung, intraperitoneal, pelvic and paraaortic lymph nodes, and liver. Brain and skull metastases are very rare.

CASE: A 57-year-old woman underwent a hysterectomy and bilateral salpingooophorectomy for a grade T2N0M0 uterine leiomyosarcoma. There was no evidence of other lesions. Three months later a total-body PET scan demonstrated the presence of metastases in both lungs, and the patient was started on chemotherapy. One year later a cranial MRI demonstrated a brain metastasis to the temporal lobe. Emergency complete resection of the recurrence was performed, followed by whole-brain radiation and adjuvant chemotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Given the limited treatment options, the gold standard for uterine leiomyosarcoma brain metastasis is total surgical removal. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy may provide only palliative benefit.