Leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava

Edita Bieliūnienė¹, Giedrė Kavaliauskienė¹, Dalia Mitraitė¹, Eglė Jonaitienė¹, Algidas Basevičius¹, Saulius Lukoševičius¹, Darius Pranys², Virgilijus Krasauskas³, Edita Juodžbalienė⁴

¹Department of Radiology, Kaunas University of Medicine, ²Department of Pathology, Kaunas University of Medicine, ³Department of Surgery, Kaunas University of Medicine, ⁴Department of Oncology, Kaunas University of Medicine, Lithuania

Key words: leiomyosarcoma; inferior vena cava; radiological and pathological examination; surgical treatment.

Summary. Leiomyosarcoma is a rare tumor of mesenchymal origin usually affecting the inferior vena cava. Early diagnosis is essential before surgical resection, which is the only therapeutic modality that prolongs patients’ survival. Ultrasonography, computer tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging are the main imaging modalities in this case. Combined with guided biopsies, they form the mainstay of reliable diagnosis. We report a case with retroperitoneal tumor arising from the middle segment of the inferior vena cava. Radiological examination revealed retroperitoneal tumor and helped to choose surgical treatment. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava.

Correspondence to S. Lukoševičius, Department of Radiology, Kau­nas University of Medicine, Eivenių 2, 50009 Kaunas, Lithuania. E-mail: slu@delfi.lt, saulius.lukosevicius@kmuk.lt, saulius.lukosevicius@radiologija.lt

Received 17 February 2009, accepted 5 March 2010