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. 2025 Mar 12;26(1):246.
doi: 10.1186/s12891-025-08485-3.

Foot and ankle angioleiomyoma: a systematic review

Michaël J Matos  1 , Sérgio Soares  2 , Joseph M Schwab  2 , Moritz Tannast  2 , Angela Seidel  2
Affiliations

Foot and ankle angioleiomyoma: a systematic review

Michaël J Matos et al. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. .

Abstract

Background: Angioleiomyoma is a benign tumor arising from smooth muscle that is commonly found in the foot and ankle. This systematic review aims to synthesize the limited data from numerous case reports and case series, which often involve small sample sizes, to provide orthopaedic surgeons with a comprehensive overview of the diagnosis and management of foot and ankle angioleiomyoma.

Methods: This systematic review, performed following the PRISMA guidelines, brings updated information for the diagnosis and management of foot and ankle angioleiomyoma. 62 relevant studies were included. We analysed patient demographics, clinical characteristics, diagnostic workup, treatment, and clinical outcomes.

Results: Angioleiomyoma is more prevalent in middle-aged women, and pain is the most common symptom. Its diagnosis is often delayed due to its rarity and nonspecific presentation. Plain radiographs, MRI, and ultrasound of the foot and ankle are the most common preoperative imaging exams. Surgical excision is the treatment of choice with a low rate of both recurrence and malignant transformation.

Conclusions: This review emphasizes the importance of considering angioleiomyoma in the differential diagnosis of foot and ankle tumors and highlights the need for a comprehensive workup to improve diagnostic accuracy and ensure appropriate management.

Keywords: Angioleiomyoma; Ankle; Foot; Oncology; Smooth muscle; Tumor.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics of approval and consent to participate: As this manuscript presents a review study, it exclusively synthesizes and analyzes data already published in existing literature. Consequently, the nature of our research does not involve any direct involvement with human subjects or experimental procedures. Given that our study solely relies on previously published material and does not entail new data collection, ethical approval from an ethics committee or Internal Review Board (IRB) was not sought nor required. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
PRISMA flow diagram illustrating the study selection process. The diagram outlines the progression from the initial literature search (1,529 studies) to the final inclusion of 62 studies. Key exclusion criteria are detailed, including language restrictions, anatomical location (foot and ankle), diagnosis specificity, and completeness of patient data regarding differential diagnoses, pre-operative evaluations, and interventions
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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