A Case Report of Synovial Sarcoma in the Abdominal Wall

Abstract

Synovial sarcoma is a rare potentially malignant tumor that accounts for 7% of all soft tissue tumors. It often develops in individuals aged late teens to thirties. Synovial sarcoma usually arises in the vicinity of the joints ; those occurring in the abdominal wall accounts for only 2.6% of all synovial sarcomas. We describe a rare case with a relevant discussion on synovial sarcoma.

A-39-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with a complaint of left hypochondriac pain. Through palpation, we identified a smooth and fixed tender mass, sized 3 cm, situated in the left hypochondrium. Abdominal CT scan revealed a well-defined tumor sized 58×52 mm projecting into the peritoneum from the abdominal wall. The tumor showed predominantly low-intensity signals mixed with high-intensity signals ; therefore, it was difficult to diagnose based on these images. As the patient experienced pain and we found no apparent invasion of the abdominal organs, we resected the tumor. Upon histopathological examination the tumor was diagnosed to be a synovial sarcoma. After surgery, the patient received chemotherapy followed by radiation therapy to reduce the risk of recurrence. Since three years post-surgery, there has been no recurrence.