Leiomyosarcoma of gingiva: report of a case and review of the literature

Primary Leiomyosarcoma of the Mandibular Alveolar Mucosa of a 12-Year-Old Child from Ethiopia: A Case Report

Leiomyosarcomas (LMSs) are rare malignant mesenchymal tumors which show smooth-muscle differentiation. Most LMSs involving the oral tissues primarily affect the maxillary sinus, the maxillary or mandibular bone. We present a case of LMS of the mandibular alveolar mucosa, arising in a 12-year-old male child from Ethiopia. A malignant spindle cell-like neoplasm was diagnosed on clinical and radiographic findings as well as on incisional biopsy. The tumor was resected with wide margins. The following histopathologic examination with additional immunohistochemical studies secured the diagnosis LMS. Microscopically, the spindle-shaped tumor cells were arranged in an interlacing fascicular pattern and contained oval to elongated, blunt-ended (cigar-shaped) nuclei. The immunohistochemical examination showed immunoreactive tumor cells for vimentin, actin, desmin, and H-caldesmon, which is pathognomonic for LMS. Immunohistochemical studies are mandatory to differentiate the LMS from other similar spindle cell neoplastic lesions. Radical resection with safety margins and a lifelong periodic follow-up has to be recommended.

Primary oral leiomyosarcoma: a clinico-pathologic study and analysis of prognostic factors

This clinico-pathologic study of primary oral leiomyosarcomas and analysis of potential prognostic factors involved a literature review of 64 cases and a report of four cases treated in the authors' unit. The demographic details, clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment and outcome were documented for the whole group and clinico-pathologic variables analysed to detect potential prognostic factors. The most common presentation was that of a painless mass, with peak incidence in the 6th decade and a slight male predeliction (M:F=1.3:1). The maxilla was the most frequently involved site, followed by the mandible and tongue. Surgical excision was most commonly employed with radiotherapy and chemotherapy being reserved for recurrent and metastatic tumours. Local recurrence (34%) and metastasis (35%) were not uncommon and occurred most frequently to the lungs and regional lymph nodes (15%). Age, sex, size and mitotic index were not statistically related to recurrence or metastasis. Site (P=0.0125) was a predictor of metastasis. Metastasis (P=0.010) and lesions involving the maxilla and mandible (P=0.019) were associated with decreased survival. The estimated 5 year survival was 55% for the whole group and 43% and 19% for patients with bony involvement and metastasis respectively.

Leiomyosarcomas of the oral tissues: clinicopathologic analysis of 50 cases

PURPOSE

Primary oral leiomyosarcomas are rare tumors. Information regarding the biological behavior, prognosis, and appropriate management of this neoplasm is lacking in the literature. The purpose of this report was to summarize the data of isolated case reports of primary oral leiomyosarcoma that have been published in the English literature during the past 25 years. The cases of 4 additional new patients who have been treated in our department during the past 10 years are also presented.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The data for 46 patients obtained from 32 individual articles retrieved from the English literature were added to our 4 cases and produced a total number of 50 cases of primary leiomyosarcomas of the oral tissues. Patients were analyzed according to demographic data, anatomic location, type of treatment, and survival.

RESULTS

Primary oral leiomyosarcoma may affect any age with peaks of occurrence in the third, sixth, and seventh decades of life. There is no gender predilection. Female patients presented the higher incidence in the third decade, whereas males had an even age distribution. The tumor arises in approximately 70% of the cases in the maxillary and mandibular bones. Radical surgery was the treatment of choice. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy when applied in recurrent tumors had little effect. The most adverse prognostic factor was the positive surgical margins. The 5-year survival was 62% (62.9% for females and 52.6% for males, P > .1968).

CONCLUSIONS

Cases of oral leiomyosarcoma appear to be associated with major neurovascular structures of the facial skeleton, as evidenced from the imaging studies of our 4 patients. Primary oral leiomyosarcoma is a rare tumor that should be managed with aggressive surgical resection in order to safeguard curability. Histopathologic diagnosis is greatly facilitated with positive immunohistochemical staining for smooth muscle antigenic markers.

Multicentric leiomyosarcoma in a young male horse

A 2-year-old male Thoroughbred was evaluated for multiple firm, raised nodules of the maxilla and mandible that had been present since 6 months of age. The horse was evaluated as a yearling with a final histologic diagnosis of fibrosarcoma. As a 2-year-old, the colt made a loud upper airway sound and was agitated after strenuous exercise. Results of upper airway endoscopy indicated severe narrowing of the nasal passages and pharynx with normal resting function. Radiography revealed multiple circular bony lesions in the mandible, maxilla, multiple long bones, and cervical vertebrae. Biopsy specimens of the left mandible and right facial bone were obtained. A diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma with extensive metastatic bone formation was made on the basis of histologic features and the immunohistochemical staining properties of the biopsy specimens. Because of the diffuse distribution of the lesions, prognosis was guarded; 4 years after diagnosis, the horse had not pursued an athletic career.

Primary Leiomyosarcoma of the Oral Cavity: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Leiomyosarcoma is a malignant tumour of mesenchymal origin that is uncommon in the head and neck, and particularly uncommon in the oral cavity. This article presents a case of primary leiomyosarcoma affecting the mucosal lining of the cheek in a 35-year-old woman. The need for wide excision is emphasized, and because of the high frequency of regional lymph node metastasis, an ipsilateral neck dissection is advocated, followed by adjuvant radiotherapy for residual microscopic disease.

Leiomyosarcoma in the maxilla: a case report

We describe a rare case of leiomyosarcoma of the maxilla arising in a 71-year-old Japanese woman. The lesion was treated successfully by surgical resection with external irradiation of 70 Gy. No sign of recurrence or distant metastasis was present 3 years after operation. Histogenetically, this maxillary leiomyosarcoma apparently arose from the medial muscle of blood vessels or from primitive mesenchyme in the maxilla.

Primary gingival leiomyosarcoma. A clinicopathological study of 1 case with prolonged survival

BACKGROUND

Leiomyosarcoma is a relatively uncommon mesenchymal tumor that exhibits smooth-muscle differentiation. Only 3 to 10% of leiomyosarcomas arise in the head and neck, the nose and paranasal sinuses, skin and subcutaneous tissue and cervical esophagus being the most common localizations. Most leiomyosarcomas involving the oral tissues primarily affect the maxillary sinus, the maxillary or mandibular bone. A review of the English-language literature since 1908 revealed 30 reported cases of primary leiomyosarcoma of the oral mucosa and soft tissues.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We report on a case of gingival leiomyosarcoma, arising in a 31-year-old female and involving the upper alveolar mucosa. Following the diagnosis of malignant neoplasm on frozen sections and an en-block resection, the tumour was formalin-fixed and paraffin embedded for histological and immunohistochemical examination.

RESULTS

Microscopically, the tumor was composed of interlacing fascicles of spindle-shaped cells with elongated, blunt-ended nuclei and eosinophilic cytoplasm, containing PAS-positive granules. Mitoses, both typical and atypical, and scattered necrotic foci were present. Consistent desmin, muscle specific and alpha-smooth muscle-specific, and vimentin immunoreactivity was demonstrated in the tumor cells. The patient is alive and free of disease at a 7-year follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Intra-oral leiomyosarcomas are exceptionally rare. Accurate diagnosis and treatment is largely based on the careful search of clinical signs indicative of malignancy (e.g., neoplastic bone destruction, wide invasion of adjacent tissues) and intra-operative (frozen sections) examination of the lesion. Though the case reported herein showed an attenuated clinical behavior, prolonged follow-up is mandatory in view of possible tumor relapse.

Primary intraoral leiomyosarcoma of the tongue: an immunohistochemical study and review of the literature

Leiomyosarcoma is a relatively uncommon mesenchymal tumor that exhibits smooth-muscle differentiation. We report a new case of leiomyosarcoma involving the tongue of a 67-year-old male. Histologically, the tumor was composed of variably oriented fascicles of spindle-shaped cells with 'cigar-shaped' nuclei and eosinophilic cytoplasm, containing occasional PAS-positive granules. Atypical mitotic figures and necrotic foci were frequently detected. Consistent desmin, alpha-smooth muscle-specific and sarcomeric actin, and vimentin immunoreactivity was demonstrated in the tumor cells, whereas cytokeratins, CD 30, CD 31, CD 34, CD 45, CD 68, EMA, GFAP, HMB 45 and S-100 protein were negative. The patient underwent wide surgical excision of the tumor and is alive and disease-free at a 5-year follow-up. This report emphasizes the difficulties in the differential diagnosis of these uncommon tumors in an intra-oral location.

Leiomyosarcomas of the oral cavity: an unusual topographic subset easily mistaken for nonmesenchymal tumours

AIMS

Oral leiomyosarcoma is rare and poorly documented. We aimed to characterize these lesions clinicopathologically in order to facilitate their distinction from other spindle cell neoplasms in the oral cavity.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Ten cases of oral leiomyosarcoma were retrieved and studied histologically and immunohistochemically. Clinical data were obtained from referring pathologists and prior literature concerning 46 comparable cases was reviewed. Nine out of 10 cases occurred in adults; 50% arose in the jaws and four showed bone involvement. Histological appearances were similar to leiomyosarcomas elsewhere. In addition to myogenic markers, two cases were also keratin-positive. Four patients developed local recurrence or metastatic disease and three died of tumour (median follow-up 37 months).

CONCLUSIONS

Leiomyosarcoma is under-recognized in the mouth, often being mistaken for a spindle-celled epithelial neoplasm. Aside from an unusual but infrequent tendency to spread to lymph nodes and a location-specific differential diagnosis, its clinicopathological features are comparable to leiomyosarcomas at other locations.

Primary leiomyosarcoma of the mandible in a 7-year-old girl: report of a case and review of the literature

Leiomyosarcoma is a malignant neoplasm of smooth muscle origin that manifests itself uncommonly in the oral cavity because of the paucity of smooth muscle in that location. To the best of our knowledge, only 10 cases of leiomyosarcoma primary to the jawbones have been reported in the English language literature. We report the first pediatric case of leiomyosarcoma arising from the mandible. Facial asymmetry and swelling were accompanied by a rapidly growing exophytic soft tissue mass that caused buccal displacement of the mandibular left permanent first molar. The lesion, observed radiographically as an extensive ill-defined area of osteolytic alveolar destruction, perforated the lingual cortex, displaced the inferior alveolar nerve canal inferiorly, and produced a "floating-in-air" appearance of the first molar. Diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma was made after initial incisional biopsy of the lesion. A 5-cm segmental mandibulectomy and supraomohyoid neck dissection were followed by reconstruction with a dynamic mandibular reconstruction plate and placement of a multidimensional mandibular distraction device in a transport rectangle of bone to promote bifocal distraction osteogenesis. Forty millimeters of distraction (the technical limit of the device) were performed; this was followed by terminal iliac crest bone grafting. Seventeen months after the definitive surgical procedure, the patient remains free of disease.

Leiomyosarcoma presenting as a mandibular gingival swelling: a case report

We report a case of primary low-grade leiomyosarcoma of the mandible in an otherwise healthy young woman. The neoplasm presented as a painful, pericoronal gingival swelling that mimicked an acute periodontal infection. It was managed accordingly, with curettage, debridement, and antibiotics. When the lesion failed to respond to this treatment approach, a biopsy was performed. Microscopy revealed a malignant mesenchymal neoplasm which, on immunohistochemistry analysis, demonstrated reactivity for smooth muscle actin (SMA) and vimentin. This established the diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma; subsequently, an en bloc resection of mandibular bone and overlying soft tissue was performed. Close follow-up for over 10 years has revealed no evidence of recurrent or metastatic disease. Since the patient was taking oral contraceptives prior to the onset of the lesion, a possible link between estrogen and smooth muscle tumors is considered.

Primary leiomyosarcoma of the maxilla with regional lymph node metastasis. Report of a case and review of the literature

A rare case of oral leiomyosarcoma diagnosed with the aid of immunohistochemical and electron microscopic examinations together with a review of the literature are reported. The patient was a 70-year-old Japanese man. The primary tumor involved the maxillary gingiva and bone and metastasized to the cervical lymph nodes. On histologic examination the tumor showed invasive growth into the maxillary bone. It was composed of interlacing fascicles of spindle-shaped cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm and elongated, blunt-ended nuclei. The tumor formed extensive metastatic foci in the cervical lymph nodes. On immunohistochemical examination most of the tumor cells were positive for desmin, smooth muscle-specific actin, and myosin. The ultrastructural characteristics of the tumor cells were abundant microfilaments, pinocytotic vesicles, and basement membrane formation. The findings were indicative of a tumor demonstrating myogenic differentiation. A review of the literature during the past 50 years disclosed a total of 60 oral leiomyosarcomas, including our case.

Leiomyosarcoma of the base of the tongue treated with radiotherapy: a case report

Soft tissue sarcomas of the oral cavity are uncommon malignancies; those of smooth-muscle origin are extremely rare. The world literature reveals about 80 leiomyomas and 26 cases of leiomyosarcoma. Only 4 of the cases with leiomyosarcoma occurred in the tongue. This report of leiomyosarcoma of the base and dorsum of the tongue adds 1 case which was primarily treated with irradiation and achieved an excellent response. A 1.5-year follow-up after radiation-therapy is included and a review of the literature is presented.

Leiomyosarcomas of the oral cavity. Report of four cases and review of the literature

Leiomyosarcomas (LMS) make up 7% of all soft tissue sarcomas. In the oral cavity, the LMS is rare due to the paucity of smooth muscle in that region. Four cases of intraoral LMS are reported, plus 34 cases found in the literature reviewed. There were 24 males and 14 females. The age range at presentation was 10 months to 88 years with no predilection for any particular age group. The commonest presenting symptom was a mass. The intraoral LMS occurred most commonly in the jaws (59% of cases). The mass was painful in 61% of cases. Follow-up of the case reports was assessed. Recurrence occurred in 36% of cases. Distant metastases occurred in 39% of cases, most commonly to the lungs. Cervical nodal metastasis was reported in 15% of cases. The 5-year survival rate determined on cases with adequate follow-up (n = 13) was 23% free of disease, 8% alive with disease and 69% who died of disease. In comparison with stage I and stage II tongue squamous cell carcinomas, the intraoral LMS is very aggressive. It is best treated surgically, early and aggressively.

Primary gingival leiomyosarcoma

A case of primary gingival leiomyosarcoma in a 64-year-old woman is presented. The treatment modalities are discussed and the previous literature is reviewed.