Extrauterine Placental Site Trophoblastic Tumor Involving the Vagina

Int J Gynecol Pathol. 2017 May;36(3):294-299. doi: 10.1097/PGP.0000000000000318.

Abstract

Very few cases of placental site trophoblastic tumor (PSTT) primarily involving extrauterine sites have been reported to date. We report a case of a 29-year-old female who presented with a vaginal nodule 9 months after delivery at an outside hospital which was initially diagnosed as a poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Subsequently she was referred to our institute, and on the basis of histology, mildly elevated serum β-HCG level, and immunohistochemistry, PSTT was diagnosed. After the completion of chemotherapy, the vaginal nodule completely regressed and serum β-hCG returned to baseline. Her follow-up has been unremarkable. This case highlights the importance of the fact that PSTT can be easily misdiagnosed at extrauterine sites in the absence of proper clinical, histologic, and immunohistochemical correlation.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human / blood
  • Diagnostic Errors
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hysterectomy
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Pregnancy
  • Trophoblastic Tumor, Placental Site / diagnosis*
  • Trophoblastic Tumor, Placental Site / drug therapy
  • Trophoblastic Tumor, Placental Site / metabolism
  • Trophoblastic Tumor, Placental Site / pathology
  • Uterine Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Uterine Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Uterine Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Uterine Neoplasms / pathology
  • Vagina / metabolism
  • Vagina / pathology

Substances

  • Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human