Spindle-cell epithelioma of the vagina diagnosed during pregnancy--a case report

Spindle-cell epithelioma or "mixed tumor" of the vagina is an unusual and intriguing vaginal tumor consisting of both epithelial and mesenchymal components. A case of spindle-cell epithelioma of the vagina diagnosed at delivery of a 31-year-old primiparous woman is described. The excision of the mass was performed immediately after the delivery, which was uneventful. The patient was regularly followed up and no evidence of local recurrence or dissemination was found 40 months after surgery. The presentation and the diagnosis of this kind of tumor in pregnancy, and its effect on the pregnancy and delivery are still largely unknown. Since it is unlikely that any institution will have a large number of patients with this rare disease, case reports add further information to this entity. As the number of cases studied is small, close follow-up is recommended although there has been no report in the literature of metastasis so far.