Late metastatic endometrial carcinoma at the repair site of an abdominal wall incisional hernia

Saudi Med J. 2017 May;38(5):546-548. doi: 10.15537/smj.2017.5.17395.

Abstract

The abdominal wall is a very rare site for endometrial cancer metastases. Its appearance generally indicates advanced cancer with poor prognosis. We report a case of a 55-year-old female who presented with an incisional hernia 4 years after abdominal panhysterectomy for endometrioid adenocarcinoma in 2009. Open hernia mesh repair was performed but on follow-up, she complained of pain and a swelling at the repair site. This was radiologically diagnosed as fibromatosis, but tru-cut biopsy confirmed presence of fibromatosis as well as a metastatic endometrial carcinoma. She was started on neoadjuvant chemotherapy, but had poor response, and therefore, radical excision was performed. She remained well with no metastatic recurrence at 12-month follow-up. This case illustrates late appearance of abdominal wall metastasis from abdomino-pelvic malignancies and highlights the need to exclude the presence of recurrence or metastases prior to surgical repair of incisional hernia occurring after the resection of abdominal or pelvic malignancy.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Abdominal Wall / pathology
  • Abdominal Wall / surgery*
  • Endometrial Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hysterectomy
  • Incisional Hernia / pathology
  • Incisional Hernia / surgery*
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Metastasis*