Papillary serous carcinoma arising in abdominal wall endometriosis treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery

Abstract

Objective: To report a case of malignant transformation of abdominal wall endometriosis.

Design: Case report.

Setting: Private practice.

Patient(s): A 59-year-old woman with a rapidly growing abdominal wall mass.

Intervention(s): Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgical resection of the mass.

Main outcome measure(s): Shrinkage of the tumor after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and wide excision and reconstruction of abdominal wall.

Result(s): A 59-year-old woman had a history of laparotomy performed for uterine perforation due to dilatation and curettage 20 years ago. She noticed a mass in her abdominal wall shortly after the operation, which changed in size with menstrual cycles. The mass showed a rapid growth in the last 6 months before presentation. Incisional biopsy revealed papillary serous carcinoma. Owing to the large size of the mass, the patient received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and underwent surgery after shrinkage of the mass.

Conclusion(s): Malignant transformation of endometriosis is a rare event. In case of huge tumors, neoadjuvant chemotherapy might facilitate surgery by shrinking the tumor.