Leiomyosarcoma of the Breast: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Primary breast leiomyosarcoma is an extremely rare malignancy, accounting for approximately 1% of breast tumors and less than 5% of soft tissue sarcomas. Due to its rarity, standardized treatment guidelines remain unclear. We report the case of a 38-year-old woman who presented with a 3 cm, freely mobile breast nodule, initially classified as American College of Radiology Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System 4 on imaging. Core needle biopsy confirmed primary breast leiomyosarcoma, with histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis revealing strong positivity for α-smooth muscle actin, desmin, and H-caldesmon, consistent with smooth muscle differentiation. Epithelial, neural, and vascular markers were negative, ruling out differential diagnoses. The Ki-67 index was 15%, indicating moderate proliferative activity. Staging classified the tumor as T2N0M0 (Stage IIA, the American Joint Committee on Cancer 8<sup>th</sup> edition), and the patient underwent radical mastectomy with sentinel lymph node exploration, followed by adjuvant radiotherapy. Despite the aggressive nature of leiomyosarcomas, this case exhibited favorable prognostic factors, including small tumor size, intermediate grade, negative margins, and no lymphatic spread, suggesting a less aggressive course. After four years of follow-up, the patient remains free of complications, underscoring the importance of long-term monitoring and the need for further research to refine therapeutic approaches.

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Publication Details

Journal
European Journal of Breast Health
Published
2025-05-29
DOI
https://doi.org/10.4274/ejbh.galenos.2025.2024-10-8
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Breast Lesions and Carcinomas
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.47
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article

Leiomyosarcoma of the Breast: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Sassi Boughizane, Skander Abid, Samir Hidar, H. Abbassi et al.
1 citations
European Journal of Breast Health
Breast Lesions and Carcinomas
1.47
article

Leiomyosarcoma of the Breast: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Sassi Boughizane, Skander Abid, Samir Hidar, H. Abbassi, A. Khlifi, A. Alimi, Hédi Khaı̈ri, Amrou Dinari
article en
1 citations

Abstract

Primary breast leiomyosarcoma is an extremely rare malignancy, accounting for approximately 1% of breast tumors and less than 5% of soft tissue sarcomas. Due to its rarity, standardized treatment guidelines remain unclear. We report the case of a 38-year-old woman who presented with a 3 cm, freely mobile breast nodule, initially classified as American College of Radiology Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System 4 on imaging. Core needle biopsy confirmed primary breast leiomyosarcoma, with histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis revealing strong positivity for α-smooth muscle actin, desmin, and H-caldesmon, consistent with smooth muscle differentiation. Epithelial, neural, and vascular markers were negative, ruling out differential diagnoses. The Ki-67 index was 15%, indicating moderate proliferative activity. Staging classified the tumor as T2N0M0 (Stage IIA, the American Joint Committee on Cancer 8<sup>th</sup> edition), and the patient underwent radical mastectomy with sentinel lymph node exploration, followed by adjuvant radiotherapy. Despite the aggressive nature of leiomyosarcomas, this case exhibited favorable prognostic factors, including small tumor size, intermediate grade, negative margins, and no lymphatic spread, suggesting a less aggressive course. After four years of follow-up, the patient remains free of complications, underscoring the importance of long-term monitoring and the need for further research to refine therapeutic approaches.

European Journal of Breast HealthVol. 21(3)
Hôpital Farhat Hached (TN)
Gender equality, Zero hunger
Openalex Percentile: Top 19%
Breast Lesions and Carcinomas
1.47
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