Successfully treated case of epithelioid sarcoma of the vulva

• DOI: 10.1111/j.1447-0756.2011.01637.x
• Publication Date: 2011-09-15T13:26:50Z
• Authors: Tatsuyuki Chiyoda; Mitsuya Ishikawa; Masaru Nakamura; Mariko Ogawa; Kiyoshi Takamatsu
• Keywords: Adult; 03 medical and health sciences; Treatment Outcome; 0302 clinical medicine; Vulvar Neoplasms; Humans; Female; Sarcoma; 3. Good health; Vulva

AbstractEpithelioid sarcoma of the vulva is an extremely rare and aggressive tumor. This tumor most commonly occurs on the labia majora in women of reproductive age. The molecular pathogenesis remains largely unknown. Only 20 cases of vulvar epithelioid sarcoma have been reported to date and more than half have had poor outcomes. We report a successfully treated case of vulvar epithelioid sarcoma in a 33‐year‐old woman. We performed a radical vulvectomy with flap reconstruction. Three years after surgery, the patient remains well, showing no evidence of recurrence. Early tissue diagnosis of vulvar epithelioid sarcoma is essential because this tumor can be clinically misdiagnosed as a benign lesion. Gynecologists should be aware of this rare tumor variant and carefully plan the treatment.