title: Intravenous leiomyomatosis with inferior vena cava and heart extension.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intravenous leiomyomatosis (IVL) is a rare tumor that is histologically benign but biologically malignant. Less than 200 cases of IVL have been reported, most of them were individual reports.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six patients with IVL involving the inferior vena cava were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three patients received one-stage operations and two received two-stage operations. All operations were successful. No perioperative death or other complications were observed. Primary tumors and intravenous tumorous emboli were completely resected from four patients. Residual tumor remained in one patient who had serious adhesions due to multiple previous surgeries; however, with antiestrogen therapy, the residual tumor significantly regressed. All patients had tumor relapse after the operation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IVL should be given more attention by vascular surgeons, although it is extremely rare. Many therapeutic methods are available for uterine leiomyomatosis involving inferior vena cava, among which operation is the best choice.
authors: Department of Vascular Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors: Bao
authors: B
authors: Liu
authors: Changwei
authors: C
authors: Liu
authors: Heng
authors: H
authors: Guan
authors: Yongjun
authors: Y
authors: Li
authors: Xiaojun
authors: X
authors: Song
authors: Keng
authors: K
authors: Shen
authors: Qi
authors: Q
authors: Miao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy / Q000379:methods; D018231:Leiomyomatosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012494:Sampling Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D019043:Vascular Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior