Gastric leiomyosarcoma in a 3-year-old boy

Abstract

A 3-year-old boy presented with anemia and a palpable abdominal tumor. The operative finding was a 10.5×9.6×4.6-cm tumor that infiltrated the anterior wall of the stomach. Local excision was performed. The tumor was histopathologically diagnosed as leiomyosarcoma with immunoreactivity for alpha-smooth muscle actin and muscle actin, but not for CD34, c-kit, and S-100. The tumor was characterized as highly malignant because of its size, high mitotic count, nuclear atypia, and high MIB-1 labeling index. After 6 months of follow-up, recurrence developed in the remnant stomach and liver metastasis was observed. Partial gastrectomy and lateral segment resection of the liver were performed. Subsequently, multiple recurrences in the remnant liver and peritoneal dissemination occurred. The patient underwent follow-up without adjuvant therapy and was well for more than 10 years after liver metastases and peritoneal dissemination after the initial surgery. This case represents the different biological behavior of pediatric gastrointestinal leiomyosarcoma compared to adult gastrointestinal leiomyosarcoma. Keywords: Leiomyosarcoma, Pediatric, Prognosis, Metastasis, Surgery