title: Recurrent cutaneous leiomyosarcoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Soft tissue sarcomas comprise approximately 0.7% of all malignant neoplasms. Superficial leiomyosarcoma, a rare malignant lesion, constitutes 4.0-6.5% of all soft tissue sarcomas, an overall incidence of approximately 0.04% among all cancers. Currently, less than 125 cumulative cases of cutaneous and subcutaneous leiomyosarcoma have been reported in the English literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors report the case of a 70-year-old Japanese man with recurrent cutaneous leiomyosarcoma who was treated by wide local excision. A comprehensive literature survey is also presented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patient is free from recurrence 1 year after wide local excision of a second recurrence of cutaneous leiomyosarcoma. Moreover, superficial leiomyosarcoma can be subdivided into cutaneous leiomyosarcoma and subcutaneous leiomyosarcoma, based on histopathologic and prognostic differences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The treatment of choice of superficial leiomyosarcoma is wide local excision. Cutaneous leiomyosarcoma is associated with local recurrence only, although subcutaneous leiomyosarcoma undergoes metastatic spread in 30-60% of cases, with a 30-40% mortality rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, HI 96859.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Wascher
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007890:Leiomyosarcoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery