Cholangiocarcinoma Presenting as Uterine Metastasis

Abstract

Metastases to the female genital tract are rare, with metastatic disease restricted to the uterus being even less frequent. The primary tumor is most often intragenital rather than extragenital. The diagnosis is usually made after occurrence of gynecological symptoms. We describe the case of a 26-year-old female, in whom a curettage for menorrhagia revealed a uterine malignancy, at first thought to be a carcinosarcoma. Biochemistry only showed iron deficiency anemia. Imaging showed discrepant results with liver lesions, suspect of neoplastic or inflammatory disease. She underwent an abdominal hysterectomy and, peroperatively, a frozen section of a mass in the liver hilus demonstrated a cholangiocarcinoma. The diagnosis of a uterine metastasized cholangiocarcinoma was made. We emphasize the fact that uterine metastases have to be excluded in every woman with abnormal uterine bleeding and a personal history of malignancy. However, our case also indicates that gynecological metastatic disease may be the first presentation of an extragenital primary neoplasm.