Leiomyosarcoma of the thyroid gland

Primary leiomyosarcoma of the thyroid gland: A rare case report and literature review

INTRODUCTION

Primary thyroid leiomyosarcoma is an extremely rare soft tissue sarcoma, characterized by high malignancy and poor prognosis. Currently, only 13 cases of primary thyroid leiomyosarcoma have been described in the medical literature (limited to English).

CASE PRESENTATION

A 76-year-old female presented with a giant neck mass. Physical examination revealed a large, firm mass in the left thyroid gland. No symptoms such as hoarseness or dysphagia were noted at the time of presentation. The patient underwent unilateral thyroidectomy and cervical lymph node dissection.

CLINICAL DISCUSSION

Pathologic findings revealed a low-grade sarcoma with spindle-shaped tumor cells in an interwoven, sheet-like distribution. Immunohistochemistry showed positivity for desmin, SMMHC, STAT6, CK19, and Galectin3, but negativity for S-100, MyoD1, CD34, CK (AE1/AE3), CD117, and CD56. The findings were consistent with thyroid leiomyosarcoma.

CONCLUSION

The treatment of primary thyroid LMS presents challenges due to its atypical symptoms and high malignance, highlighting the imperative for further exploration of therapeutic strategies to improve the outcomes.

Primary leiomyosarcoma of the thyroid with concurrent papillary thyroid cancer: a rare case report and a review of literature

BACKGROUND

Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is a soft tissue malignant tumor that has a predilection to the abdominopelvic and limb smooth muscles. LMS of the thyroid is exceptionally rare. Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the most common thyroid malignancy and originates from the thyroid epithelial layer. To our knowledge, the presence of both tumors in the same patient has not been reported previously.

CASE PRESENTATION & LITERATURE REVIEW

A 42-year-old woman presented with a progressively enlarging neck mass for a few months. She underwent left thyroid lobectomy, and the histology showed high-grade primary LMS of the thyroid. She subsequently underwent a complete thyroidectomy, which identified a classical PTC on her right lobe. Our comprehensive literature review identified 39 published cases of primary LMS of the thyroid. The average tumor size was 5.88 cm and occurred more in women. The most common presentation was neck mass, followed by compressive symptoms. Recurrence and metastasis were uncommon at 15% and 10-25%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Thyroid LMS is a rare malignancy with a worse prognosis than PTC. A thorough workup must be done to rule out metastasis before labeling it as primary thyroid cancer.

Primary thyroid leiomyosarcoma with transvenous extension to the right atrium: a case report

Background

Primary thyroid leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is a very rare tumour with less than 40 published cases yet. Direct metastatic extension into the great cervical veins and caval veins is extremely uncommon. Extension to the right heart has not yet been reported.

Case summary

A 62-year-old man was admitted for sudden onset of left neck pain and dyspnoea. Computed tomography and ultrasonography found an extensive mass of the left great cervical veins, superior vena cava, and a nodule in the left thyroid lobe. Transesophageal echocardiography visualized large protrusion of this mass into the right atrium. Cytology of a thyroid nodule diagnosed a benign hyperplastic nodule. The mass was considered to be likely an extensive thrombus. The patient was started on anticoagulant therapy. The next course was complicated by pulmonary embolism and later by enterorrhagia. Despite clinical stabilization, the patient died suddenly. Autopsy finding differed from the clinical conclusion. Microscopic investigation revealed that the mass seen in the cervical veins down to the right atrium was a spindle cell tumour with a primary site in the left thyroid lobe. Immunohistochemistry was consistent with the final diagnosis of primary thyroid LMS.

Discussion

Differential diagnosis of the masses of great cervical veins and right atrium can be challenging. Pure venous thrombus and tumour thrombus must be distinguished. Thyroid LMS should also be considered in patients with masses in the right atrium and thyroid nodules.

Primary thyroid leiomyosarcoma: a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge

Leiomyosarcoma is a malignant mesenchymal tumour of smooth muscle origin. It is extremely rare as a primary thyroid cancer with only 33 cases previously described in the literature. We present the case of a 69-year-old Caucasian man who presented with a 5-month history of left cervical lymphadenopathy and a suspicious mass in the left thyroid lobe on ultrasound scan. Left hemithyroidectomy confirmed the diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma. A review of current understanding and approaches to management of this rare condition are discussed.

Primary thyroid leiomyosarcoma: a case report and review of the literature

Primary thyroid leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is an extremely rare tumor. We report a case of a 47-year-old male with a rapidly growing neck mass and disfagia. Preoperative investigations were diagnostic of anaplastic carcinoma. Total thyroidectomy with partial esophagectomy and dissection of right infrahyoid muscles was performed. Through histolological and immunohistochemical evaluations a primary thyroid high-grade LMS was diagnosed. At 2 months of follow-up a local recurrence was detected and consequently the patient was submitted to chemotherapy with partial response. He is still alive 9 months after surgery. Diagnosis of primary thyroid LMS is difficult due to its similarity to other more common thyroid tumors. To date, there is no standard therapy and prognosis is poor.

Primary Leiomyosarcoma of the Thyroid Gland - A Rare Malignancy

Primary leiomyosarcoma (LMS) of thyroid is rare malignant neoplasm usually seen in elderly patients. These tumours are characterised by a rapidly growing mass in the neck, difficult to diagnose preoperatively and are highly aggressive with high recurrence rates in spite of radical surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. We herein report a case of 50-year-old female with a rapidly growing painless mass in the neck. Total thyroidectomy with bilateral neck node clearance was done. Histology and Immunohistochemistry revealed primary LMS of thyroid gland. Within 1 month of radical surgery she developed local recurrence. Diagnosis of primary LMS is difficult and immunohistochemistry is necessary to differentiate it from other malignancies of the thyroid. Primary LMS remains a life-threatening tumour and more effective treatment are needed to improve outcome.

Primary leiomyosarcoma of the thyroid gland with prior malignancy and radiotherapy: A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND

Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) of the thyroid gland is a rarely presented tumor that offers poor prognosis. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there currently exist only 28 known cases described in the literature (limited to English).

CASE SUMMARY

Herein a case is reported of a 60-year-old female patient who had an LMS of the thyroid, which was accompanied by periodic dysphonia and breathing disorder as well as the feeling of pressure in the chest and neck. At the time the disease was diagnosed, no metastases were detected. Prior to the diagnosis, the patient experienced a uterine adenocarcinoma that had been treated by surgical procedure and radiotherapy. For the LMS, a total thyroidectomy was performed, followed by radiotherapy. Since metastases were also discovered in the lungs, sternum, and femur, chemotherapy was administered as well. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells in the thyroid indicated positively for alpha smooth muscle actin, calponin, and H-caldesmon, but were negative for CD34, p63, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and Epstein-Barr virus.

CONCLUSION

Although the etiology of the LMS is as of yet unknown, prior malignancy and radiation should be considered as risk factors.

Primary thyroid leiomyosarcoma: A case report and literature review

Primary thyroid leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is an extremely rare soft tissue cancer; only 22 cases have been reported in the literature to date. In the current study, the case of an 83-year-old male patient who presented with a neck mass that had grown rapidly over the previous 3 months is reported. The patient underwent thyroid lobectomy twice and two cycles of immunotherapy for the treatment of primary thyroid LMS; however, he succumbed to the disease 5 months after the second surgery. An accurate diagnosis of primary thyroid LMS is difficult, as the disease is often misdiagnosed as anaplastic carcinoma, and requires the combined assessment of clinical, imaging and pathological data. Diagnosis of the current patient with primary thyroid LMS and a comprehensive review of the relevant literature are presented herein.

Thyroid leiomyosarcoma: presentation of two cases and review of the literature

Introduction

Leiomyosarcoma is a tumor which is rarely seen in the thyroid gland. The diagnosis may be difficult and the treatment is controversial.

Objective

The objective of the study is to review the literature about a rare malignant disease of the thyroid gland which has high mortality.

Methods

Two cases of thyroid leiomyosarcoma are presented and the previous 23 cases in the current literature are reviewed.

Results

A total of 25 cases of thyroid leiomyosarcoma are reviewed; the most common complaint was rapidly growing anterior neck mass, and ten of the 25 patients had distant metastasis at the initial admission. Fifteen of the 25 patients died with the disease in the first 12 months after the diagnosis.

Conclusion

The differential diagnosis of thyroid leiomyosarcoma is important and should be performed with other malignancies of the gland, especially with anaplastic carcinoma. The prognosis is poor and there is no consensus regarding the treatment.

Leiomyosarcoma: a rare tumor of the thyroid

Primary leiomyosarcoma of the thyroid gland is uncommon. To date, 20 cases have been reported in English in the literature. The tumors usually present in elderly patients with female predilection and are associated with poor clinical outcome. Herein, we report an additional case of primary thyroid leiomyosarcoma in a 64-year-old woman. She underwent total thyroidectomy and later was discovered to have multiple lung and liver metastases. The patient died 3 months after surgery. The major differential diagnoses including undifferentiated (anaplastic) carcinoma of the thyroid, spindle cell variant of medullary thyroid carcinoma, spindle cell tumor with thymus-like differentiation, uncommon primary tumor of the thyroid and metastatic tumors with predominant spindle cells are discussed.

Primary leiomyosarcoma of the thyroid

A 56-year-old male with primary leiomyosarcoma of the thyroid is presented. The paucity of diagnostic maneuvers, including tumor markers, fine needle aspiration, and frozen section biopsy, are stressed, in addition to the fulminate course of the disease.

[Thyroid gland primary leiomyosarcoma]

Despite the fact that 15% to 20% of sarcomas occur in the head and neck and 80% in adults, only 0.014% are primary thyroid leiomyosarcomas. To the best of our knowledge, only 16 cases have been reported around the world, none in South America. Cytologic diagnosis is challenging and these tumors may be mistaken by more common ones such as anaplastic or medullary carcinomas. The treatment of choice for thyroid leiomyosarcomas is not well established yet because of its poor prognosis. Radical surgery associated with chemoradiotherapy has not been effective and did not improve survival rates. The authors report a case of primary thyroid leiomyosarcoma in a young male, who has been submitted to total thyroidectomy and selective neck dissection. Extensive literature review was performed by the authors. The patient received adjuvant radiotherapy, presenting good postoperative course. After four years evolution, there was no local recurrence or distant metastasis.

Malignant mesenchymoma of the thyroid: case report and literature review

Malignant mesenchymoma of the thyroid is extremely rare. We report such a tumor involving the bilateral lobes of the thyroid which showed simultaneous chondrosarcomatous, osteosarcomatous, fibrosarcomatous and rhabdomyosarcomatous differentiation. The patient was a 52-year-old woman admitted with a history of facial swelling, neck thickness and swallowing discomfort of one month's duration. Sonographic examination indicated a thyroid mass involving the bilateral lobes. Macroscopically, the tumors of both lobes were well demarcated, solid, greyish-white, and multinodular on the cut surface. Some nodules were translucent in appearance and hard in texture. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of small primitive mesenchymal cells with osteoid formation resembling the small cell variant of osteosarcoma interspersed with multiple cartilaginous nodules that indicated chondrosarcomatous differentiation. Some tumor cells showed prominent rhabdomyoblastic differentiation with eosinophilic cytoplasm and eccentric nuclei. Fibrosarcomatous areas were also observed. Immunohistochemically, the small primitive mesenchymal cells were positive for vimentin and CD99 and negative for CD56, Syn, CgA, CK, TG, TTF-1, calcitonin, and S-100. The tumor cells in the rhabdomyosarcomatous area were MyoD1 and muscle-specific actin positive. Molecular analysis for BRAFand RAS gene alterations showed no point mutation. The tumor recurred four months after surgery and tumor thrombi were suspected in the bilateral internal carotid arteries on ultrasonography. Primary malignant mesenchymoma of the thyroid is a high-grade malignant tumor with a poor prognosis. Its differerential diagnosis includes anaplastic carcinoma and other rare sarcomas with chondroid, osteoid, and other mesenchymal metaplasia.