A Rare Case of Giant Leiomyoma in the Space of Retzius

TL;DR

A rare case of a benign muscle tumor was found in an unusual location in a patient's abdomen.

Contribution

This paper reports an extremely rare case of a leiomyoma in the space of Retzius, expanding the known locations for such tumors.

Findings

The tumor was initially mistaken for a uterine fibroid but was found to be in the anterior retroperitoneum.

This case highlights the rarity of leiomyomas in the space of Retzius.

The tumor was successfully surgically excised and confirmed to be benign.

Abstract

Leiomyoma are benign tumors of smooth muscle origin. Uterine leiomyoma are extremely common; leiomyoma in extraperitoneal spaces, however, are not. There have been several documented cases of leiomyoma in retroperitoneal spaces, though the majority of them have been in the posterior retroperitoneum. Here, we report a patient presenting with a large, firm suprapubic mass, initially thought to be a fundal uterine fibroid. On surgical excision, it was found to be the extremely rare finding of a benign leiomyoma in the anterior retroperitoneum or space of Retzius.

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