A Primary Adrenal Epithelioid Angiomyolipoma (PEComa) in a Patient with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex: Report of a Case and Review of the Literature

Massive simultaneous hepatic and renal perivascular epithelioid cell tumor benefitted from surgery and everolimus treatment: A case report

BACKGROUND

Perivascular epithelioid cell tumor (PEComa) is a rare mesenchymal neoplasm that predominantly affects the kidney and uterus. The occurrence of this tumor in the liver, particularly with simultaneous involvement of the liver and kidney, is exceedingly uncommon. Pathological diagnosis is the gold standard. PEComas usually show positive immunohistochemical staining for melanocytic (HMB-45, Melan-A) and myoid (SMA, muscle-specific actin) markers.

CASE SUMMARY

We presented a noteworthy case of malignant PEComa affecting both the liver and kidney in a 53-year-old man with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). FAT2 and TP73 mutations in the kidney were identified and positive expression of diagnostic markers including HMB-45, Melan A, and TFE3 were detected. In addition, we demonstrated that hepatic artery perfusion chemotherapy was ineffective for hepatic PEComa, while surgery remained the most effective approach. Everolimus showed an excellent efficacy in the postoperative treatment of the tumor.

CONCLUSION

Surgical treatment is preferred for malignant PEComa affecting liver and kidney, especially with TSC; everolimus is effective postoperatively.

Recurrent epithelioid angiomyolipoma of the adrenal gland: a case report and literature review

Background

Epithelioid angiomyolipoma (EAML), a subtype of angiomyolipoma, is distinct. It has a biologic behavior of borderline tumor, a malignant tendency, and a risk of metastasis and recurrence. Adrenal EAML is very rare. It is true that only six cases of adrenal EAML have been documented in the English-language literature.

Case Description

A 65-year-old man who underwent a laparoscopic left adrenalectomy in July 2022 has adrenal EAML and this is a case report about it. The mass was surrounded by abundant blood vessels and adherence with surround-tissue. Postoperative pathology of the tumor analysis revealed adrenal epithelioid vascular smooth muscle lipoma. The patient underwent left upper abdomen and lumbar pain in July 2022. The enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen showed markedly enhanced masses in and around the left adrenal gland. A second left laparoscopic adrenalectomy was performed under general anesthesia. Postoperative pathology showed two taupe nodules of left adrenal, maximum diameter 0.9 to 1.1 cm. The postoperative pathological diagnosis in combination with immunohistochemistry was EAML. The patient was discharged 10 days later with symptomatic treatment with low molecular heparin.

Conclusions

Adrenal EAML has a biologic behavior of borderline tumor with malignant potential and a risk of distant metastasis and recurrence. Therefore, radical surgical resection should be considered as its necessary treatment. Long-term postoperative follow-up is an important part of the treatment.

PEComa of the Adrenal Gland: A Clinicopathologic Series of 7 Cases

PEComas are a family of mesenchymal neoplasms composed of histologically distinctive perivascular epithelioid cells which demonstrate myomelanocytic differentiation. PEComas of the adrenal gland are very rare and can represent a considerable diagnostic challenge given their morphologic overlap with more common adrenal cortical neoplasms. We present the clinicopathologic features of 7 primary adrenal PEComas. The cohort comprised 5 male and 2 female patients with a median age of 63 years (range: 31 to 71 y). One patient had Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome and another had Lynch syndrome; however, none had a history of tuberous sclerosis complex. Histologically, tumors showed nested and/or sheet-like growth and epithelioid cytomorphology with pale-to-eosinophilic granular cytoplasm. Two tumors had an admixed spindle cell component. There was a median of 4 mitoses per 10 HPFs (range: 0 to 8). Necrosis was present in 4 tumors and lymphovascular invasion in 1. Four tumors were classified as malignant. By immunohistochemistry, tumors were positive for HMB-45 (3/7), MITF (3/3), Melan-A (3/7), smooth muscle actin (5/7), desmin (5/7), and caldesmon (1/1). Two tumors were positive for TFE3 (2/4). Inhibin and SF1 were negative in all tumors assessed (0/6). Of 3 patients with available clinical follow-up information, 1 patient developed locally recurrent and metastatic disease (at 18 mo) and was alive with persistent disease at the last follow-up. Two patients had no recurrent or metastatic disease at the last follow-up (60 and 25 mo). Although PEComas of the adrenal gland are rare, pathologists need to be alert to this entity in the differential diagnosis of primary adrenocortical neoplasms. In suspected cases, the judicious use of melanocytic and smooth muscle markers, in addition to TFE3 and markers of adrenocortical differentiation (such as SF1 and inhibin) can assist in diagnosis. As in PEComas arising at other visceral sites, an association with tuberous sclerosis complex seems to be uncommon.

Malignant Perivascular Epithelioid Cell Tumor of the Uterus

Perivascular epithelioid cell tumors (PEComa) are soft tissue tumors. They belong to the family of mesenchymal tumors and include angiomyolipomas, clear cell sugar tumors of the lung, and PEComas not otherwise specified (NOS). Tuberous sclerosis complex 1 (TSC1) and tuberous sclerosis complex 2 (TSC2) gene mutation is associated with PEComa, which causes hyperactivation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. In some cases, transcription factor E3 (TFE3) gene fusion is also observed. They are usually found in middle-aged women with clinical symptoms of abnormal uterine bleeding and pelvic pain. Radical surgical resection with clear margins is the mainstay of the treatment. We encountered a 54-year-old woman who had postmenopausal abnormal uterine bleeding. A hysterectomy was planned, but pelvic adhesions were discovered during the procedure. As a result, she underwent an exploratory laparotomy with hysterectomy, appendectomy, and total omentectomy. The biopsy of the uterus, left ovary, and a small bowel nodule revealed diffuse growth of epithelioid cells with eosinophilic granular cytoplasm with HMB45 staining, which indicated PEComa. A treatment plan with an mTOR inhibitor nab-sirolimus was proposed for the patient. Early detection, a multidisciplinary approach, and timely treatment are crucial for better disease prognosis.

Natural History and Treatment Strategies of Advanced PEComas: A Systematic Review

Simple Summary

In this article, we review the clinical features of advanced PEComas and show the diversity of reported data among authors, emphasizing the heterogeneity of molecular characterization and treatment strategy. Based on clinical data collected from 124 case reports, metastatic disease at diagnosis and a grouped version of the Bleeker’s risk category were the only factors significantly associated with death. Due to a significant number of missing data or short follow-ups, results regarding prognostic factors should, however, be interpreted with caution.

Abstract

PEComas is a family of rare mesenchymal tumors. This systematic review aims to better understand the natural history of advanced PEComas. After a search on the PubMed database and main oncology meeting libraries according to the PRISMA guidelines, 88 articles reported in the English literature were included. Data on clinical and histological features, treatments and outcomes were collected. To identify risk factors, univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. Seven cohorts of patients and 124 individual patients were identified. Focusing on case reports, most patients were metastatic, and the median overall survival (OS) of the entire cohort was 60 months (95%CI 33; NA). Risk factors significantly associated with OS in the multivariate analysis were the presence of metastasis at diagnosis (HR: 2.59, 95%CI 1.06; 6.33, p = 0.036) and the grouped-Bleeker’s risk category (HR: 4.66; 95%CI 1.07; 20.19; p = 0.039). In the metastatic population, only the presence of lymph node metastasis was associated with OS (HR: 3.11; 95%CI 1.13; 8.60, p < 0.05). Due to a lack of events, it was not possible to conclude on other factors. This review of the literature highlights the heterogeneity of literature data and shows the great diversity of clinical management strategies.