Debulking surgery for pelvic recurrence after surgically-treated tubal gestational choriocarcinoma - A case report and literature review

Abstract

Gestational choriocarcinomas are very rare malignancies, with only few cases being reported so far. Moreover, the presence of pelvic recurrences after surgically-treated gestational choriocarcinomas is even scarcer situations. We present the case of a 19-year-old patient who was initially submitted to surgery with preoperative diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy. At that moment a left salpingectomy was performed, and the histopathological studies revealed the presence of a left tubal gestational choriocarcinoma. The patient was submitted to adjuvant chemotherapy with methotrexate and dactinomycin. However, six months later she was diagnosed with a pelvic recurrence so she was resubmitted to surgery, debulking to no residual disease being successfully performed. The histopathological studies confirmed the presence of a recurrent tumor with gestational choriocarcinoma structure.