Article Text

Download PDFPDF
Adenocarcinoma of mammary-like glands in the vulva successfully treated by weekly paclitaxel
  1. H. Tanaka*,
  2. T. Umekawa*,
  3. K. Nagao*,
  4. A. Ishihara and
  5. N. Toyoda
  1. * Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mie Prefectural Shima Hospital, Shima, Japan
  2. Department of Clinical Pathology, Matsusaka Chuo Hospital, Matsusaka, Japan
  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mie University, Tsu, Japan
  1. Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Hirohiko Tanaka, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mie Prefectural Shima Hospital, 1257 Ugata, Ago, Shima, Mie 517-0595, Japan. Email: h-tanaka{at}shimahp.pref.mie.jp

Abstract

An 87-year-old was referred for gynecologic evaluation of a lesion involving the left labia majus noted 3 years earlier. Fine-needle aspiration cytology revealed clusters with an acinous structure or glandular formation. The tumor appeared as cell clusters with linear arrangements. Histologic examination showed the same morphologic findings as scirrhus type of primary breast carcinoma. Examinations of the breasts and axillary lymph nodes were normal. This disease was diagnosed as an adenocarcinoma arising in mammary-like glands of the vulva. Bone scan showed multiple foci in the sternum, costa, and vertebrae, consistent with metastatic disease. We administered five courses of weekly paclitaxel chemotherapy, which achieved a partial response. There were no severe adverse effects. In our case, the fine-needle aspiration cytology was a rapid and minimally invasive method of diagnosis, and the findings were extremely similar to those of the scirrhus type of primary breast carcinoma. Rapid and accurate diagnosis made with this technique might contribute to a good prognosis in the early-staged cases. Weekly paclitaxel chemotherapy may be one of the safe and effective treatments for this disease with distant metastases, even in extremely aged patients (over 80 years).

  • fine-needle aspiration cytology
  • mammary-like gland
  • paclitaxel
  • vulvar adenocarcinoma

Statistics from Altmetric.com

Request Permissions

If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.