A leiomyoma, also known as fibroids, is a benignsmooth muscle tumor that very rarely becomes cancer. They can occur in any organ, but the most common forms occur in the uterus, small bowel, and the esophagus. Polycythemia may occur due to increased erythropoietin production as part of a paraneoplastic syndrome. The word is from ' + ' + , "smooth-muscle tumor". The plural form can be either the English leiomyomas or the classical leiomyomata.
Mesenchymal neoplasms of the gallbladder are rare and in particular leiomyomas of the gallbladder have been rarely reported, all of them in patients with immune system disorders. Although, recently, a case was reported in absence of associated immunodeficiency at Monash Hospital in Melbourne Australia in a healthy 39-year-old woman with no symptoms.
Skin
Leiomyomas of the skin are generally acquired, and divided into several categories:
Solitary cutaneous leiomyoma
Multiple cutaneous leiomyomas arising from the arrectores pilorum muscles
Dartoic leiomyomas originating in the dartos muscles of the genitalia, areola, and nipple
Angiolipoleiomyoma
Esophagus, stomach and small intestines
Leiomyoma is the most common benign mesenchymal tumor of esophagus and second most common benign tumor of the small bowel. Although leiomyoma is the most common benign esophageal tumor, malignant carcinoma is still 50 times more likely. Approximately 50% of cases are found in the jejunum, followed by the ileum in 31% of cases. Almost one half of all lesions are less than 5 centimeters.
Other locations, metastatic leiomyoma
Metastatic leiomyoma are an extremely rare complication after surgery to remove the uterus for uterine fibroids. The most frequent sites of occurrence are the lungs and pelvis. The lesions are hormonally responsive.
Fibromyoma of the breast is an extremely rare benign breast neoplasm. Most reports in literature mention a history of hysterectomy for uterine fibroids, although the question of whether these fibromyomas are possibly metastases of the uterine fibroids has not been investigated. An alternative hypothesis is an origin from the smooth muscle of the nipple.
Leiomyoma may spontaneously occur in any muscle. Depending on the location of the tumor, identification may not be timely until overall mass becomes undeniably noticeable. The symptoms for a 30 year old male with a 10 cm leiomyoma included "dead leg" pains. Tumor was intertwined with quadricep muscles, making identification and excision difficult. Tumor was successfully excised with only minor rehabilitation required.
