LEIOMYOSARCOMA OF THE VULVA - REPORT OF A CASE

A 52-year-old female presented with a progressively enlarging vulvar m ass. Pathological evaluation revealed a high-grade vulvar leiomyosarco ma. Immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies were performed to support the diagnosis. In an effort to better understand the biology o f this tumor additional immunohistochemical studies for the protein pr oduct of p53 tumor suppressor gene and estrogen receptor expression by tumor cells, as well as the type of immune cells infiltrating the tum or were performed. Tumor cells showed an overexpression of p53 protein and were estrogen receptor-positive. Macrophages and T and B lymphocy tes infiltrated the tumor in moderate numbers with occasional lymphoid aggregate formation. This study is the first attempt to better unders tand the biology of these tumors. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.