Massive Abdominal and Pelvic Myxoma in Carney's Syndrome

558 J Clin Pathol 2000;53:558–560 Massive abdominal and pelvic myxoma in Carney’s syndrome J Clin Pathol: first published as 10.1136/jcp.53.7.558 on 1 July 2000. Downloaded from W G McCluggage, M Y Walsh, C M Thornton, H R McClelland, S T Irwin Abstract documented report of a massive abdominal This report describes a massive abdomi- and pelvic myxoma in Carney’s syndrome. nal and pelvic myxoma in a patient with Carney’s syndrome. A 38 year old woman presented with abdominal distension and Case report a palpable mass, and at operation a large A 38 year old woman, who was known to have pelvic and abdominal tumour was identi- Carney’s syndrome, presented with a four week fied and resected. The surgical specimen history of abdominal distension and a palpable consisted of a lobulated mass, which on abdominal mass. She had lost four stone in cut section had a uniform gelatinous con- weight over the past two years, most of this in sistency. The mass surrounded both ova- the last six months. On examination she had ries, the appendix, and the upper part of the typical multiple pigmented skin lesions of the uterus, but macroscopically did not Carney’s syndrome. These were particularly appear to involve these organs. Histologi- prominent on the face and the vulval region. cal examination showed plump stellate Examination of the abdomen revealed a large and spindle shaped cells set in an abun- suprapubic mass arising out of the pelvis and dant myxoid stroma, in keeping with a extending to the right iliac fossa. An enhanced myxoma. Immunohistochemical staining computed tomography scan of the abdomen revealed positivity of tumour cells for showed ascites and a large irregular mass lesion vimentin, but no reactivity to desmin, within the pelvis, the cranial extent of which á-smooth muscle actin, S-100 protein, reached the aortic bifurcation. There was no CD34, or AE1/AE3. This is the first docu- evidence of metastatic disease. Magnetic reso- mented case of massive adominal and pel- nance imaging confirmed the presence of a vic myxoma in a patient with Carney’s large pelvic mass, which appeared intimately syndrome. Clinicians and pathologists associated with the uterus and adnexae. should be aware that myxomas in Car- At surgery, there was two litres of blood ney’s syndrome can rarely involve unusual stained ascites. A large mass arose from the sites other than the skin and heart. pelvis and surrounded the superior aspect of http://jcp.bmj.com/ (J Clin Pathol 2000;53:558–560) the uterus and the right and left ovaries. The mass could not be separated from the left ovary Keywords: abdomen; pelvis; myxoma; Carney’s syndrome; immunohistochemistry and was adherent to the appendix. Complete excision of the mass was performed together with total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral Department of Carney’s syndrome or complex is one name salpingo-oophorectomy, and removal of the Pathology, Royal appendix. The postoperative course was un- given to a complex consisting of myxomas, on September 27, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. Group of Hospitals eventful. Trust, Grosvenor spotty pigmentation, and endocrine overactiv- ity. This peculiar syndrome is also known by a The diagnosis of Carney’s syndrome had Road, Belfast been made 12 years previously after the devel- BT12 6BL, Northern variety of names including Swiss syndrome, Ireland NAME syndrome, and LAMB syndrome.1 opment of multiple cutaneous myxomas. She W G McCluggage Both male and female individuals can be also had surgery to remove a left atrial M Y Walsh aVected and, based on a familial study, Carney myxoma. She has three children, two of whom C M Thornton are aVected by Carney’s syndrome. et al suggested that an autosomal dominant 2 Department of mode of inheritance was likely. The syndrome Colorectal Surgery, is characterised by a variety of disorders, not all Royal Group of of which are necessarily present in an aVected Materials and methods Hospitals Trust, individual. Lesions found in this syndrome The surgical specimen was fixed in formalin Belfast BT12 6BL, include cutaneous and cardiac myxoma, and sections for histological examination were Northern Ireland S T Irwin myxoid fibroadenoma of the breast, spotty routinely processed in paraYn wax and stained cutaneous pigmentation, cutaneous blue nae- with haematoxylin and eosin. Immunohisto- Department of vus, pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease, chemistry was performed using a standard Obstetrics and pituitary growth hormone secreting tumour, streptavidin–biotin peroxidase method (Dako, Gynaecology, Belfast psammomatous melanotic Schwannoma, and Copenhagen, Denmark). Sections were stained City Hospital, Belfast large cell calcifying Sertoli cell tumour of the with monoclonal antibodies to the following BT9 7AB, Northern 23 Ireland testis. molecules: vimentin (Dako), desmin (Dako), H R McClelland Here, we describe a patient with Carney’s á-smooth muscle actin (Sigma, Poole, UK), syndrome, and with a history of cutaneous and S-100 protein (Diagnostic Products Ltd, Correspondence to: cardiac myxomas, who developed a massive Abingdon, UK), CD34 (Serotec, Oxford, UK), Dr McCluggage tumour involving the abdomen and pelvis, and AE1/AE3 (ICN-Flow, Aurora, Ohio, Accepted for publication which on histological examination comprised a USA). Immunostaining was performed using 20 October 1999 myxoma. As far as we are aware, this is the first appropriate positive and negative controls. Short report 559 Pathological findings haemosiderin pigment but no necrosis. There The surgical specimen consisted of a 7 cm was also a scattered lymphoid infiltrate, which J Clin Pathol: first published as 10.1136/jcp.53.7.558 on 1 July 2000. Downloaded from length uterus and cervix. A large lobulated in areas was quite intense (fig 1C). This tumour measuring 20 cm in maximum dimen- lymphoid infiltrate was composed of lym- sion was adherent to the external surface of the phocytes and plasma cells. The tumour ex- superior aspect of the uterus. Sectioning tended to the margins of the specimen. revealed this to have a uniform gelatinous con- Immunohistochemical staining showed the sistency. Several areas of haemorrhage were stellate and spindle shaped tumour cells to be present. The tumour did not infiltrate the positive with antivimentin but not with the uterus and two grossly unremarkable ovaries other antibodies. Staining for desmin, and fallopian tubes were identified embedded á-smooth muscle actin, and CD34 highlighted within the mass. A macroscopically unremark- the vascular channels within the neoplasm. able appendix was also identified within the No important microscopic abnormality was tumour. identified within the uterus or cervix. The right Histological examination of multiple sec- ovary was histologically unremarkable and the tions from the tumour showed a uniform cortical surface of the left ovary was superfi- appearance throughout. Stellate and spindle cially infiltrated by tumour. The mucosa, shaped cells were embedded within an abun- submucosa, and muscularis propria of the dant myxoid stroma (fig 1A). These had plump appendix were unremarkable but tumour was vesicular nuclei, sometimes with prominent seen to involve the serosal surface. nucleoli, and surrounding eosinophilic cyto- plasm. Occasional multinucleate cells were Discussion present (fig 1B) but there was no pronounced Patients aVected with Carney’s syndrome often nuclear pleomorphism. Mitotic figures were develop myxomas, the most common locations not identified. Thick walled blood vessels were being the skin and the heart. Myxoid change present within the tumour but there was no can also occur in mammary fibroadenomas.4 arborising vascular pattern. No lipoblasts or Our patient had a history of cutaneous and chondroid areas were identified. There were cardiac myxomas. We are unaware of any areas of fresh and old haemorrhage with previous reports in the literature of an abdominal or pelvic myxoma in Carney’s syndrome, nor are we aware of a myxoma of such a large size. It is likely that the lesion attained such a size because of its location in the abdomen and pelvis. In this relatively inaccessible site, the tumour is likely to have grown without notice- able symptomatology. Degenerative changes were present in the form of thick walled blood vessels, an inflammatory infiltrate, and areas of http://jcp.bmj.com/ old and recent haemorrhage. These degenerative changes suggest that the lesion was long standing. The likely behaviour of the neoplasm is not certain. Cutaneous and cardiac myxomas in Carney’s syndrome are invariably benign, although cardiac myxomas can be life threaten- on September 27, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. ing because of their location. In our patient, although the morphological features were in keeping with a benign myxoma, the large size of the tumour, together with the fact that it was present at the excision margins, suggest that recurrence is a possibility. At laparotomy it was thought that the neoplasm had arisen from the left ovary. Male patients aVected by Carney’s syndrome can develop testicular sex cord stromal tumours, especially large cell calcifying Sertoli cell tumours,5 and this was thought a likely diagnosis. However, gross and microscopic examination of the resected mass showed that it surrounded both ovaries and only superficially invaded the left ovary. There have been occasional reports of primary ovarian myxomas (not in Carney’s syndrome),67but we feel the involvement of the left ovary in our patient was the result of direct spread from the adjacent mass. The histological appearances we describe are Figure 1 (A) Stellate and spindle shaped cells embedded entirely in keeping with a diagnosis of myxoma. in an abundant myxoid stroma. (B) Multinucleate tumour cells can be seen in some areas. (C) In some areas there is Other lesions considered in the diVerential an intense infiltrate of small lymphoid cells. diagnosis included myxoid smooth muscle 560 Short report tumour, myxoid peripheral nerve sheath are most commonly intramuscular or juxta- tumour, myxoid malignant fibrous histiocy- articular in location,10 11 and the abdomen and J Clin Pathol: first published as 10.1136/jcp.53.7.558 on 1 July 2000.

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