Radio-surgical and pathologic correlations of pelvic intravenous leiomyomatosis.

Intravenous leiomyomatosis has an unusual growth pattern characterized by proliferation of smooth muscle in uterine and systemic veins. Although histologically benign, this condition could eventually have a clinically aggressive course. At an early stage, the disease is often misdiagnosed on preoperative imaging because of its low prevalence, non-specific initial clinical manifestation, and poorly known radiological characteristics. An early, accurate diagnosis is needed for appropriate surgical management that could result in a good prognosis, reducing the risk of recurrence and morbidity. Magnetic resonance imaging is a particularly valuable technique for assessing intravenous leiomyomatosis preoperatively.