THE CLEAR-CELL VARIANT OF EPITHELIOID INTRAVENOUS LEIOMYOMATOSIS OF THE UTERUS - REPORT OF A CASE

A case of very rare uterine clear cell epithelioid leiomyomatosis is r eported. The patient presented with a recurrent pelvic mass after hyst erectomy 2 years earlier. The recurrent tumor was located mainly in th e vessels of the broad ligament as worm-like plugs. The reviewed hyste rectomy specimen showed a typical multi-lobulated intramural mass toge ther with worm-like plugs within the myometrial vessels. Computer tomo graphy exhibited metastatic nodules in both lungs. According to an his tological examination, all the tumor cells were of epithelioid type an d contained abundant clear cytoplasm, Characteristic large, thick-wall ed blood vessels were observed. Immunohistochemical staining and ultra structural examination supported smooth-muscle origin in this case. El ectron microscopic study revealed that the clear cytoplasm was attribu ted to the presence of numerous dilated mitochondria that had lost the ir cristae. The patient is still alive with the disease 28 months afte r surgery.