Leiomyosarcoma of the inferior Vena Cava

Abstract

Leiomyosarcomas (LMS) of the inferior vena cava (IVC) are rare and comprise less than 1% of all soft tissue sarcomas. Patients usually present in the fifth or sixth decade of life with back pain and/or increased abdominal girth. The diagnosis is usually made with noninvasive imaging [computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance (MRI)] or by invasive methods such as endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) with biopsy. We report the case of a 76 year-old female with a chief complaint of vague intermittent abdominal pain. CT scan revealed a mass possibly arising from the pancreas. She underwent a diagnostic EUS which confirmed that the mass was retroperitoneal in origin compressing the IVC; fine needle aspiration (FNA) showed spindle cells. The patient underwent laparotomy and pathology revealed a leiomyosarcoma of the IVC.