An audit of the clinicopathological spectrum of benign vascular tumors of female genital tract; with a mini narrative review

Abstract

Background : Vascular tumors of the female genital tract (FGT) are very rare. The aim of this study was to analyze the spectrum of vascular tumors in FGT and to correlate their clinicopathological features. Materials and Methods : A retrospective study of 15years, including clinical features, imaging studies, gross and microscopic features of 24 cases of benign vascular tumors of FGT were reviewed. The age range was 20–95 years. Presenting complaints were abdominal pain/mass, postcoital bleeding, and vaginal and vulval mass. The duration of symptoms varied from 3months to 10years. A diagnosis of vascular tumor was not considered in any of these on clinical grounds. Results : The most common benign vascular tumor was hemangioma (7cases), followed by chorangioma (5cases). The most common sites of occurrence of these benign tumors were ovary and vulva (8cases each), the rarest site was cervix (1case). The clinical symptom of ovarian vascular tumors was abdominal pain and lump. Among the vascular tumors of ovary, the most common was lymphangioma (4cases) followed by hemangioma (3cases). The least common tumor was angiomyolipoma. The most common vulval tumors were hemangioma and lymphangioma circumscriptum. An unusual case of multiplicity and complexity was observed with 3 neoplasms, one malignant and two benign with additional caseating tuberculous lymphadenitis. Conclusion : Benign vascular tumors in the FGT can present with symptoms similar to gynecological tumors and epithelial malignancies leading to unwarranted radical surgery. The pathological examination is necessary in all such cases to exclude the possibility of malignancy. Angiomyofibroblastoma and aggressive angiomyxoma of the vulva are very rare and both share similar clinical and histopathologic features causing diagnostic problems. KEY WORDS : Angimyolipoma, angiomyofibroblastoma, female genital tract, hemangioma, lymphangioma cisrcumscriptum, vascular tumors