LEIOMYOSARCOMA OF THE PULMONARY VEIN

Objective. We report a case of leiomyosarcoma (LMS) of the pulmonary v ein and comment on the natural history and determinants for survival f or this rare condition. Experimental design. Our retrospective review is only the fourth such case reported in the world's Literature. Setti ng. A teaching hospital with an active surgical residency program. Pat ient or participant. A 61-year-old female who presented with a central pulmonary mass. Interventions. Complete resection without pneumonecto my or cardiopulmonary bypass. Pathology showed low grade LMS. Measures . Determinants for survival include complete surgical resection and a low mitotic activity of the tumor. Results. The patient remains no evi dence of disease three years following initial treatment. Conclusions. One reported case of LMS of the pulmonary vein had favorable determin ants for survival; complete surgical resection and low mitotic activit y of the tumor. These factors may have contributed to the successful o utcome. The natural history of LMS of the pulmonary vein appears simil ar to the more widely studied LMS of the inferior vena cava.