Retroperitoneal leiomyosarcoma with metastasis to the skin (Review)

Retroperitoneal leiomyosarcomas (RPLMS) are rare invasive malignant tumors originating from the smooth muscle of the retroperitoneum. Although metastasis mainly involves the lungs, liver and vascular regions, cutaneous metastasis is extremely rare, occurring in 1-2.6% of reported cases. This type of metastasis usually indicates disease progression, poor prognosis, median progression free survival of ~5 months, and overall survival of 14-17 months. Although recent molecular analyses have improved our understanding of the pathophysiology of leiomyosarcoma (LMS), the treatment of advanced LMS remains challenging, and there are few series of articles published primarily in case form. The present review explores the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, diagnostic methods, and treatment strategies of skin metastasis in advanced RPLMS, in order to provide further reference.