Uterine lipoleiomyomas: a clinicopathologic study of 50 cases

Lipoleiomyoma is an uncommon uterine neoplasm and, although presumed to be benign, has been inadequately studied. Confirming the benign nature of this tumor is important because it can closely resemble well-differentiated liposarcoma. We evaluated 50 consecutive lipoleiomyomas diagnosed at the Washington Hospital Center from 1998 to 2004; 2.1% of patients who had uterine leiomyomas during this period had a lipoleiomyoma. The mean and median patient age was 54 and 51 years, respectively. The mean and median tumor size was 4.6 and 2.1 cm, respectively. Forty-three (83%) tumors were located in the uterine corpus, and 7 (13%) were in the cervix. One broad ligament tumor and one retroperitoneal tumor were also studied. The mitotic index was zero for all tumors. No tumors displayed cytological atypia, necrosis, calcification, or other degenerative changes. Follow-up periods ranged from 1.8 to 7.5 years (mean, 5.0 years). Four patients died of unrelated causes. There were no recurrences or fatalities related to tumor. Lipoleiomyoma of the uterus seems to have an uneventful clinical course and can now be confidently regarded as benign.