Radiotherapy for liposarcoma of the vulva

Background. Primary liposarcoma of the vulva is extremely rare. We report a case of liposarcoma of the vulva which was treated with local excision and postoperative radiotherapy. Case. A 21-year-old woman complained of a painless lump in her labium majus which she first noticed 3 years earlier. An initial diagnosis of lipoma of the vulva was made. The patient was treated by surgical removal. On examin ation of the surgical specimen, the final pathological diagnosis was well-d ifferentiated liposarcoma and the stalk was not excised completely. Radioth erapy was initiated because of the uncertainty of the patient's prognosis. Eighteen months after radiotherapy, no evidence of local recurrence, metast asis, and late complication has been seen. Conclusion. This case is suggestive of the contribution of postoperative ra diotherapy, although not conclusive, and continued monitoring is necessary because recurrence or metastasis can occur years later. (C) 2000 Academic P ress.