title: [Clinical and pathological analysis of intravenous leiomyomatosis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the clinical and biological characteristics of intravenous leiomyomatosis and the treatment methods, as well as their effect on prognosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical and pathologic data of 7 patients with intravenous leiomyomatosis of the uterus admitted to our hospital from June 1992 to June 2003 were analyzed retrospectively. All the cases were followed up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the patients complained of pelvic mass. Three of them had enlarged uterus which was over 12 gestational week, 2 of them had prolonged menstruation and hypermenorrhea, 1 of them presented with postmenopausal bleeding. B-ultrasound examination showed 4 leiomyomas, 1 sarcoma of uterus, and 3 ovarian tumors. No intravenous leiomyomatosis within uterus was diagnosed preoperatively. A resection of the mass and a total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy were performed in 4 cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intravenous leiomyomatosis has special and quasi-malignant biological behavior. The prognosis can be improved if the disease could be correctly diagnosed during the operation and treated with combined modality therapy and intensively followed up after operation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing 100730, China.
authors.forename: Shui-qing
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Chun-mei
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Xiao-hong
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Ou-ping
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jing-he
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: Ji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018229:Angiomyoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005187:Fallopian Tubes / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D018231:Leiomyomatosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D014599:Uterus / Q000098:blood supply*