BACKGROUND: Sarcomatoid squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix is a rare tumor with uncertain pathogenesis. The rarity of this neoplasm makes it difficult to diagnose and manage, and it seems to be an aggressive tumor with a short disease-free survival. To date, < 20 cases have been reported. We report the first case of sarcomatoid carcinoma successfully treated by laparoscopic radical hysterectomy. CASE: A 26-year-old woman presented with postcoital spotting. Gynecologic examination revealed an approximately 2.5-cm-diameter mass on the posterior lip of the cervix, and biopsy revealed a sarcomatoid carcinoma. After the baseline study for cervical cancer, the patient was found to have International Federation of Obstetricians and Gynecologists stage IB1 disease. The patient underwent laparoscopic radical hysterectomy with bilateral pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomy. Histopathologic examination showed no evidence of parametrial tumor extension or lymph node metastasis, and no adjuvant treatment was given. CONCLUSION: This report entails the first description of laparoscopic surgery for sarcomatoid carcinoma of the cervix. Despite short-term follow-up, it seems that early-stage disease could be successfully treated by laparoscopic radical hysterectomy.
BACKGROUND:Sarcomatoid squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix is a rare tumor with uncertain pathogenesis. The rarity of this neoplasm makes it difficult to diagnose and manage, and it seems to be an aggressive tumor with a short disease-free survival. To date, < 20 cases have been reported. We report the first case of sarcomatoid carcinoma successfully treated by laparoscopic radical hysterectomy. CASE: A 26-year-old woman presented with postcoital spotting. Gynecologic examination revealed an approximately 2.5-cm-diameter mass on the posterior lip of the cervix, and biopsy revealed a sarcomatoid carcinoma. After the baseline study for cervical cancer, the patient was found to have International Federation of Obstetricians and Gynecologists stage IB1 disease. The patient underwent laparoscopic radical hysterectomy with bilateral pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomy. Histopathologic examination showed no evidence of parametrial tumor extension or lymph node metastasis, and no adjuvant treatment was given. CONCLUSION: This report entails the first description of laparoscopic surgery for sarcomatoid carcinoma of the cervix. Despite short-term follow-up, it seems that early-stage disease could be successfully treated by laparoscopic radical hysterectomy.