Giant pelvic retroperitoneal leiomyoma arising from the rectal wall.
BACKGROUND
Pelvic retroperitoneal leiomyomas arising from the rectal wall are rare. We present a case of a giant retroperitoneal leiomyoma mimicking bilateral solid adnexal masses in a postmenopausal woman.


METHODS
A 54-year-old postmenopausal woman presented with a large abdominopelvic mass. At surgery, the uterus was displaced anteriorly by a large retroperitoneal mass. The rectosigmoid colon was noted to course through the retroperitoneal mass. The patient underwent complete excision of the retroperitoneal mass along with a rectosigmoid resection of the involved colon with primary reanastomosis. Histopathology showed a leiomyoma arising from the muscularis propria of the rectum wall.


CONCLUSIONS
Retroperitoneal masses that extend into the pelvis may mimic adnexal masses and, therefore, represent a rare finding at gynecologic surgery.
Sayer
Robyn A
RA
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.
Amundsen
Cindy L
CL
D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D010386:Pelvic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D012186:Retroperitoneal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery