Abstract:

Retroperitoneal leiomyoma (RL) is a rare disease. Because RL grows deep inside and has a complex anatomical relationship with the surrounding tissue, it's hard to diagnose RL by imaging before surgery. The confirmation of RL diagnosis usually depends on surgical exploration and postoperative pathology. This article reports a case of a 38-year-old woman who was found to have a pelvic mass one year earlier and underwent two previous surgeries at another hospital. Finally, during surgical exploration at our hospital, the mass was found to be located in the retroperitoneum, and the pathological diagnosis was RL. For leiomyomas occurring in unusual extra-uterine location, symptoms, signs, and auxiliary examinations lack specificity, making them frequently misdiagnosed before operation. This article discusses the diagnosis and treatment of retroperitoneal uterine leiomyoma, so as to enhance clinicians' understanding of this condition, and to reduce the rate of misdiagnosis through retroperitoneal exploration for those pelvic masses that were not explored during the operation.

Key words: Retroperitoneal neoplasms, Leiomyoma, Uterus, Missed diagnosis, Case reports