Nucl Med Mol Imaging.  2007 Jun;41(3):258-259.

Incidental Multiple Pulmonary Nodules: Benign Metastasizing Leiomyoma and 18F-FDG PET/CT

• Lee SM

Abstract

Benign metastasizing leiomyoma(BML) is a rare condition affecting women with a history of having undergone hysterectomy or myomectomy for a benign uterine fibroid, that is found to have metastasized to extrauterine sites, usually many years after hysterectomy. Patient with BML almost always asymptomatic, although if the lesions are large enough, they can cause compressive symptoms. Among several hypothesis of pathogenesis, most plausible theory is that these tumors represent a true metastatic lesion but are very low-grade sarcoma. Because the tumor is responsive to estrogen, menopause and pregnancy have slowed the growth of these lesion and it seems reasonable to perform hysterectomy in patients with a uterine mass and, at the same time, perform oophorectomy for hormonal control. BML is an unusual cause of diffuse pulmonary nodules which should be considered in females with unexplained nodules and a history of surgery for uterine leiomyoma.

Keyword

multiple pulmonary nodules; benign metastasizing leiomyoma; 18F-FDG PET/CT

MeSH Terms

Estrogens
Female
Fluorodeoxyglucose F18*
Humans
Hysterectomy
Leiomyoma*
Menopause
Multiple Pulmonary Nodules*
Ovariectomy
Positron-Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography*
Pregnancy
Sarcoma
Estrogens
Fluorodeoxyglucose F18