A patient with chronic pelvic pain undergoes a hysterectomy. The resected uterus is filled with nodules composed of benign smooth muscle cells. Which of the following terms best describes these nodules?
The lesions are the very common leiomyomas of the uterus. The lesions, if numerous or large, may cause chronic pelvic pain, and infeility or pregnancy complications (if they intrude on the uterine cavity). Malignant transformation to leiomyosarcoma is rare (and some authors suggest it may not occur, with uterine leiomyosarcoma being a de novo lesion). Angiosarcomas are malignant tumors of blood vessels. Rhabdomyomas and rhabdomyosarcomas are benign and malignant tumors of skeletal muscle, respectively. Ref: Hoffman B.L., Schorge J.O., Schaffer J.I., Halvorson L.M., Bradshaw K.D., Cunningham F.G., Calver L.E. (2012). Chapter 4. Benign Disorders of the Lower Reproductive Tract. In B.L. Hoffman, J.O. Schorge, J.I. Schaffer, L.M. Halvorson, K.D. Bradshaw, F.G. Cunningham, L.E. Calver (Eds), Williams Gynecology, 2e.
Angiosarcoma
Leiomyoma
Leiomyosarcoma
Rhabdomyoma