High grade adenosarcoma of endocervix and endometrial cavity with a heterologous component of rhabdomyosarcoma. Case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Objective: To present the case of a patient diagnosed with high grade adenosarcoma of the endocervix and the endometrial cavity, with a heterologous component, and to conduct a review of the literature focusing on the diagnosis and therapeutic management of this disease condition.

Materials and methods: We present the case of a 31-year-old female patient who came to Virgen Macarena University Hospital of Seville, a Level III regional institution, complaining of genital bleeding arising from an endocervical polypoid mass. The biopsy of the mass revealed a high grade, poorly differentiated leiomyosarcoma of the endocervix. The patient was taken later to total abdominal hysterectomy. The study of the surgical specimen provided the following result: adenosarcoma of the endocervix and endometrial cavity with a heterologous rhabdomyosarcoma component. A search was conducted in the Medline database via Pubmed using the terms “adenosarcoma,” “endocervical,” “cervix,” “uterus,” “heterologous.” The search in- cluded literature review articles, case reports and clinical case series describing aspects of cervical adenosarcoma and the heterologous rhabdomyosarcoma component, published in English and Spanish since 1974.

Results: Six articles corresponding to literature reviews, case reports or case series in which the most relevant aspects of the diagnosis and treatment of this disease condition are described were retrieved.

Conclusions: This condition is characterized, on occasions, by rapid and aggresive growth, hence the importance of early diagnosis and optimal treatment based on a combination of surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. However, due to its low prevalence, further studies are needed in order to confirm these data.