Placental site trophoblastic tumor (trophoblastic pseudotumor) of the uterus with metastases and fatal outcome. Clinical and autopsy observations of a case.

A 41-year-old woman who 5 years earlier had a hysterectomy for a placental site trophoblastic tumor (formerly called trophoblastic pseudotumor) was readmitted to the hospital with pelvic recurrence and multiple lung metastases. Despite an initial decrease in the size of the lung metastases and concomitant lowering of the serum values of human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-HCG) from 2,200 to 40 ng/ml, combined chemotherapy became ineffective. The patient died 4 months later with widespread metastases. The clinical course and the autopsy findings of this case are reported and compared with the two similar cases reported in the literature.