Search

Background: Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) originating from the adrenal gland is exceedingly rare, constituting a minute fraction of soft tissue sarcomas. Due to its rarity, with less than 50 documented cases in English medical literature, the diagnosis and management of adrenal LMS remain challenging. The aim of this study was to perform a review of the literature, in order to evaluate the prognosis of these rare cancers and report our specific case. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases, up to December 2020. The search utilized MeSH terms such as “Adrenal Gland Neoplasms,” “Leiomyosarcoma,” “Adrenalectomy,” and “Smooth Muscle Tumor.” The inclusion criteria focused on studies reporting patients with a histopathological diagnosis of adrenal leiomyosarcoma. The PRISMA guidelines were followed to ensure a comprehensive analysis. Results: Out of 63 identified studies, 43 met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. These studies highlighted the rarity and aggressive behavior of adrenal leiomyosarcoma. Surgical excision remains the cornerstone of treatment, often complemented by adjuvant therapies. The reviewed case involved a 52-year-old woman who underwent a right laparoscopic adrenalectomy for a 9 × 7 × 6 cm grade 3 leiomyosarcoma. Despite subsequent adjuvant chemotherapy, hepatic metastases were detected, illustrating the aggressive nature of the disease. The literature underscores the importance of histopathological analysis and long-term surveillance for managing disease progression. Conclusions: Optimal management of adrenal leiomyosarcoma requires a multidisciplinary approach and meticulous follow-up. The rarity of the disease poses challenges for standardizing treatment, but surgical excision and tailored adjuvant therapies show promise. Further research is essential to refine treatment strategies and improve prognosis for this rare malignancy.

Breast angiosarcoma is a rare malignancy, accounting for less than 1% of all soft tissue cancers. It comprises primitive and secondary subtypes, such as radiogenic breast angiosarcoma (RAS). Despite multimodal treatment, angiosarcomas represent an incurable disease for many patients and a significant cause of deterioration in their quality of life. Surgery is a cornerstone in management, but high recurrence rates are reported. Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is a practicable locoregional treatment for patients with advanced angiosarcoma as part of a multimodal therapeutic strategy. The palliative benefits of ECT include optimal patient compliance, good local hemostasis control, and positive local responses. Since only 22 cases are described in the literature, we reported a rare case of RAS treated with ECT after a multidisciplinary approach, including Next Generation Sequencing (NGS). A literature review on the feasibility of ECT in RAS management was also performed.

Background: Local wound complications are among the most relevant sequelae after an abdominoperineal resection (APR) for low rectal cancer. One of the proposed techniques to improve the postoperative recovery and to accelerate the initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy is the mesh reinforcement of the perineal wound. The aim of the current study is to compare the surgical and oncological outcomes after APR performed with a biosynthetic mesh reconstruction versus the conventional procedure. Methods: From 2015 to 2020, in two tertiary centres, the surgical outcomes, the wound events (i.e., surgical site infections, wound dehiscence and the complete healing time) and the oncological outcomes (i.e., time length to start adjuvant chemo-radiotherapy, an over 8-week delay in chemotherapy and the recurrence rate) were retrospectively analysed in patients undergoing APR reinforced with biosynthetic mesh (Group A) and conventional APR (Group B). Results Sixty-one patients were treated with APR (25 in Group A and 36 in Group B). Patients in Group A presented lower time for: healing (16 versus 24 days, p = 0.015), inferior perineal wound dehiscence rates (one versus nine cases, p = 0.033), an earlier adjuvant therapy start (26 versus 70 days, p = 0.003) and a lower recurrence rate (16.6% vs. 33.3%, p = 0.152). Conclusions: In our series, the use of a biosynthetic mesh for the neo-perineum reconstruction after a Miles’ procedure has resulted in safe, reproducible results affected by limited complications, guarantying a rapid start of the adjuvant therapy with clear benefits in oncological outcomes. Further randomized clinical trials with long-term follow-up are needed to validate these results.

Background: Schwannomas, also called neurinomas, are rare benign tumors of the neural cells that can develop from the sheaths of nervous structures of several districts, although the most frequent sites are the cranial nerves (25%–45%). Rarely, cases show neck schwannomas in the thyroid parenchyma, while the cases of thyroid-bed schwannomas mimicking a thyroid-gland lesions are anecdotal. Methods: We report the case of a 70-year-old man with a preoperative-imaging diagnosis of a thyroid neoplasm, confirmed as Thyr 4 by fine-needle cytology. Results: During surgery, an extra-thyroidal lesion was discovered, determined to be a neck schwannoma through definitive pathology. A literature review of cases of thyroid-bed-lesion schwannomas misinterpreted as thyroid neoplasms was carried out. Conclusions: In the case of suspicious extra-thyroidal lesions, we advocate for a close routine cooperation between the cytologist, the radiologist, and the surgeon in the attempt to reach an accurate preoperative diagnosis.