JEDDAH, 24 September 2003 — In a first for King Fahd Hospital in Jeddah, a massive mixoid liposarcoma was successfully removed from a Yemeni patient in early September. Dr. Kayla Ahmed Al-Nogali, consultant in general surgery and endoscopy at King Fahad General Hospital carried out the operation to excise the tumor, which weighed 16.5 kg and measured 10 x 4 x 3 inches
The patient, had presented with an enlargement of the abdomen combined with drastic weight loss of over 15 kg. After extensive clinical examinations and tests, the cause was identified as a lipid tumor (liposarcoma) in the peritoneal cavity.
The pathology report determined the sarcoma as a myxoid liposarcoma — the most common type of liposarcoma, which is the second most frequent soft tissue sarcoma in adults. Myxoid sarcoma shows a predilection for the lower extremities, very frequently located in the leg - particularly the calf muscles, especially between the ages of 30 to fifty years. This example was located in the mid-abdomen.
The pathology report noted that this particular example was unusual for its sheer volume.
Tumors of this size are rare, and generally the incidence of soft tissue tumors is difficult to estimate, especially the ratio of benign to malignant. Benign lesions are usually estimated to be approximately 100 times more frequent than sarcomas. Sarcomas are relatively rare, constituting about 1 percent of all malignant tumors.
After the operation, the patient spent two weeks recovering and currently appears to be in good health.
