Leiomyosarcoma pathophysiology

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [2]Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Nima Nasiri, M.D.[3]

Leiomyosarcoma is a rare cancerous tumor that consists of smooth muscle cells. It is an aggressive type of sarcoma, spreads through the blood stream and can affect the lungs, liver, blood vessels, or any other soft tissue in the body. The exact cause of leiomyosarcoma is not known, although genetic and environmental factors appear to be involved.It is most often found in the uterus or abdomen.

The pathogenesis of leimyosarcoma is characterized by malignant smooth muscle neoplasm that can appear in any site in the body but most commonly found in the uterus, small intestine and retro peritoneum.^[1]

On gross pathology, leiomyosarcoma have the following characteristics:^[2]

• Large, solitary, poorly circumscribed masses with average size of 10 cm.
• Fleshy colorful cut surface with areas of hemorrhage or necrosis.

On microscopic pathological analysis, leimyosarvoma can have following characteristic, these are include: ^[3]

• Prominent cellular atypia,
• Nuclear atypia, including nuclear pleomorphism, hyperchromatism, irregularity in nuclear membranes, high nuclear size, and prominent nucleoli.
• Abundant mitoses, mitotic index higher than10 or more per 10 high-power fields.
• Areas of coagulative necrosis (Tumor cell necrosis), always accompanied by cytologic atypia and brisk mitotic activity.

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