[Clinico-pathologic study of leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata]

In order to study the relationship between the clinical preseentation of leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata (LPD) and their pathological changes as well as the differenciation of this tumor from other tumors, clinical pathological analysis was performed on the 3 cases of LPD admitted to our hospital from 1959 to 1996. Results showed that the masses in the abdomen of all three cases were found to be multiple well circumscribed nodules protruding from the serosal surface. Histological examination revealed that the nodules were composed of interlaced bundles of smooth muscle tissue. Immunohistochemical studies found that they were positive for vimentin, desmin and actin. The results of this study indicate that LPD is a benign proliferation of smooth muscle that occurs in the abdominal cavity of women during the reproductive years of life and should be distinguished from well differentiated leiomyosarcomas.