Liposarcoma of the colon presenting as an endoluminal mass

Abstract

Background: Liposarcoma is one of the most common soft tissue sarcoma of adult life, usually occurring in the retroperitoneum and the extremities. Primary liposarcoma of the colon is very rare. The optimal treatment has not been established due to the small number of cases reported. We report a case of primary liposarcoma of the colon presenting as a massive intraluminal lesion. Case presentation: A 79-year-old woman presented with abdominal pain, progressive constipation and weight loss. A CT scan and a colonoscopy revealed an intraluminal mass in the transverse colon and multiple intraperitoneal lesions. The patient underwent surgical resection of the lesions. Pathologic examination was consistent with pleomorphic liposarcoma of the colon. Conclusion: Although no guidelines are available for the management of liposarcoma of the colon, surgical resection should be performed when feasible. Our patient's overall survival was satisfactory in spite of the multiple negative prognostic factors. © 2009 D'Annibale et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.