Primary carcinosarcoma of the vagina.

Abstract

Primary carcinosarcoma of the vagina is a very rare tumor, with only eight cases diagnosed as carcinosarcoma in the literature that we are aware of. We recently encountered a case of primary carcinosarcoma of the vagina in a 75-year-old woman. The patient had a history of hysterectomy and bilateral ovariectomy for uterine corpus cancer at 55 years of age. Recurrence of the cancer was suspected 17 years after the operation and irradiation therapy was performed, but the patient died 3 years after the recurrence. Autopsy revealed a mass lesion in the pelvic cavity that originated in the vagina. Histological examination showed that the tumor contained anaplastic carcinoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma and chondrosarcoma components, and it was diagnosed as carcinosarcoma. The histological diagnosis of the uterine corpus cancer was well-differentiated adenocarcinoma, and there was no sarcomatous component. The carcinosarcoma occurred 17 years after the hysterectomy, and it was concluded to be a primary carcinosarcoma of the vagina. This is the first case of primary vaginal carcinosarcoma in which the epithelial and sarcomatous components were clearly identified histologically and immunohistochemically.

• Authors: Rie Shibata, Akihiro Umezawa, Kyoko Takehara, Daisuke Aoki, Shiro Nozawa, Jun-Ichi Hata
• Journal: Pathology international (Pathol Int) Vol. 53 Issue 2 Pg. 106-10 (Feb 2003) ISSN: 1320-5463 [Print] Australia
• PMID: 12588439 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Biomarkers, Tumor

Topics

• Adenocarcinoma (pathology, surgery)
• Aged
• Biomarkers, Tumor (analysis)
• Carcinosarcoma (chemistry, secondary)
• Fatal Outcome
• Female
• Humans
• Immunohistochemistry
• Lymph Nodes (pathology)
• Lymphatic Metastasis
• Neoplasms, Second Primary (chemistry, pathology)
• Uterine Neoplasms (pathology, surgery)
• Vaginal Neoplasms (chemistry, pathology)