Management of a large abdominal wall desmoid tumor during pregnancy. Case report

Desmoid tumors, characterized by aggressive local infiltration of surrounding tissues, are uncommon benign neoplasms with no metastatic potential, that occasionally may attain large size. We report a case of a 37-year-old woman with an abdominal wall desmoid tumor that appeared and grew rapidly during her pregnancy, diagnosed by trucut core biopsy. Complete surgical excision of a 20 x 16 cm in size tumor and immediate reconstruction with mesh was performed in the postpartum period. She had no postoperative complications and no recurrence at 2-year follow-up. Optimal management of large abdominal wall desmoids during pregnancy has to be individualized, with wide surgical excision remaining the treatment of choice.