Evaluation of occult uterine leiomyosarcomas

Objectives: To determine the frequency of occult uterine leiomyosarcomas following hysterectomies and myomectomies performed for benign reasons at our clinic and to draw comparisons with similar studies in the literature.  Material and methods: All hysterectomies and myomectomies that have been performed for benign reasons at our clinic between 2010 and 2017 were retrospectively examined via the hospital’s information system and the patients that were found to have leiomyosarcomas were analysed. The incidence of occult uterine leiomyosarcoma per 1000 surgeries at our clinic was calculated using the Wilson score interval.  Results: A total of 6,173 hysterectomies were performed, and occult uterine leiomyosarcoma was identified in 5 patients. The incidence of occult uterine leiomyosarcoma was calculated to be 0.08% (95% CI 0.03–0.018%). Only 1 of the 771 patients who underwent myomectomy was identified with occult uterine leiomyosarcoma, making its incidence in myomectomy 0.12% (95% CI 0.02–0.073%). When all the patients are considered, occult uterine leiomyosarcoma was identified in 6 of the 6,944 patients, and the general incidence of occult uterine leiomyosarcoma was calculated as 0.08% (95% CI 0.03–0.018%).  Conclusions: In our study, the incidence of occult uterine sarcoma following myomectomy and hysterectomy was found to be lower than that reported in the literature. The reason for this lower incidence includes not only genetic causes and racial differences but also preoperative imaging, endometrial and cervical sampling that is performed on every patient