Accuracy of ICG compared with technetium-99 m for sentinel lymph node biopsy in vulvar cancer.

PURPOSE: Sentinel lymph node biopsy with radioactive tracer is the standard-of-care in lymph node status assessment in vulvar cancer. Indocyanine green fluorescence-ICG is a promising detection method, due to its advantages over technetium-99 m. In vulvar cancer, the procedure is controversial due to study heterogeneity and the small sample size in previous studies. This study evaluates ICG sentinel lymph node detection compared with the criterion-standard with technetium (dual modality method). METHODS: Preoperative technetium and intraoperative ICG for sentinel lymph node have been prospectively evaluated in early-stage vulvar cancer. The primary endpoint was to determine accuracy in the detection rate for ICG compared with technetium. Secondary objectives included tracer modality relationship with obesity, tumor size and location. RESULTS: In total, 75 patients participated at 8 centers; 38 had lateral and 37 had midline vulvar tumors. The overall sentinel lymph node detection rate was 85.3 % for technetium and 82.7 % for ICG. For lateral tumors, the detection rate was 84.2 % vs. 89.5 %, while it was 86.5 % vs. 75.7 % for middle tumors, using technetium and ICG, respectively. The median sentinel node harvest was 1.7 (range 1-4), with 24 % metastatic involvement. The sensitivity and positive predictive value for ICG based on the standard technique with technetium was 91.08 % (95 % CI, 83.76-95.84) and 94.8 % (95 % CI, 84.84-96.48), respectively. No significant differences were found comparing the two tracers in patients with midline lesions, obesity (body mass index ≥ 30) and tumor size ≥ 2-4 cm. CONCLUSION(S): ICG shows comparable performance parameters to the gold-standard of radioisotope localization.

Second recurrence of aggressive vulvar angiomyxoma: a case report.

Aggressive angiomyxoma is a rare benign tumor with diverse clinical and radiologic presentations, making its differential diagnosis challenging. Here we report the second recurrence of an aggressive angiomyxoma of the vulva in a 33-year-old woman who presented with pain and swelling. Clinical examination revealed a well-circumscribed large palpable mass extending from the inferior part of the right labia major into the right side of the gluteus. A second recurrence of aggressive angiomyxoma was suspected based on the patient's history, clinical examination, and magnetic resonance imaging report, and the patient underwent surgical resection with a negative margin. Histological evaluation of the extracted lesion confirmed the diagnosis of aggressive angiomyxoma. At the 1-year follow-up, the patient was recurrence-free. The present report urges more awareness regarding the aggressiveness of angiomyxoma of the vulva. Closer attention should be given to margin-free removal of such tumors, and patients should be routinely followed up for at least 2 years postoperatively for early diagnosis of recurrence, thereby reducing the risk of morbidity.

Sentinel lymph node procedure in early-stage vulvar cancer: Correlation of lymphoscintigraphy with surgical outcome and groin recurrence.

INTRODUCTION: In early-stage vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) a sentinel lymph node (SLN) procedure is regarded successful if at least one SLN is removed with minimal residual radioactivity. An inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy is considered if not all SLNs visualized on lymphoscintigraphy can be found, with subsequent increased morbidity. We correlated lymphoscintigraphy findings with surgical outcome and groin recurrence with focus on number of SLNs found. METHODS: This study concerns a retrospective cohort of 171 women treated for early-stage VSCC who underwent a SLN procedure between 2000 and 2020. The risk of groin recurrence was compared after either a successful or complete SLN procedure, i.e. removal of all SLNs that were visualized on lymphoscintigraphy. RESULTS: In 13 (7.6%) groins of 171 patients SLN visualization on lymphoscintigraphy failed. In 230 of the 246 (93.5%) groins in which a SLN was visualized, at least one SLN was found during surgery. In 224 of the 246 (91.1%) groins the SLN procedure was regarded either successful (n = 14) or complete (n = 210). An isolated groin recurrence was documented in 5 out of 192 (2.6%, 95%-CI; 0.34 to 4.9) SLN-negative groins after a median follow-up of 47.0 months. All recurrences were noted in the complete SLN group (5/180 groins). The difference with the successful SLN group (0/12 groins) was not significant. CONCLUSION: Risk of groin recurrence was 2.6% after SLN negative biopsy in early-stage VSCC. The risk appeared not increased if at least one SLN was found with minimal residual radioactivity, in case more SLNs were visualized on lymphoscintigraphy.

Reflectance confocal microscopy as a non-invasive imaging tool in vulvar high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions and lichen sclerosus: A descriptive morphological study in patients and healthy volunteers.

Incorrect and delayed diagnosis of vulvar high-grade squamous intraepithelial neoplasia (vHSIL) and lichen sclerosus (LS) increases malignant progression risks and negatively impacts prognosis and quality of life. There is a need to improve diagnosis and monitoring. Reflectance confocal microscopy is a non-invasive imaging tool that visualizes skin structures at cellular resolution. The objectives were to explore feasibility and patient acceptability of vulvar RCM imaging and to identify RCM characteristics that are discriminative for vulvar HSIL and LS. This was a prospective, cross-sectional, observational clinical trial in patients with vHSIL and LS compared to healthy volunteers. RCM images and vulvar tissue samples were obtained. Five (5) patients with vHSIL, 10 patients with LS and 10 healthy volunteers were enrolled. In total, 100 image series of vulvar skin were obtained, including lesional and nonlesional sites. The RCM technique was considered acceptable for application by patients and healthy controls. Healthy vulvar skin was characterized by a homogenous, normal honeycomb patterned epidermis and a clear epidermal-dermal junctions. Vulvar HSIL and LS displayed an atypical honeycomb pattern of the epidermis and lymphocytic influx with presence of melanophages. Distinct features specifically observed in LS included the presence of hyalinised vessels and sclerotic areas in the dermis. RCM is a non-invasive imaging technique that is feasible and clinically acceptable to apply on vulvar skin, both in patients with premalignant lesions and healthy controls. Recognition and validation of disease-specific characteristics could make reflectance confocal microscopy a clinical tool to non-invasively aid identification of vulvar premalignancies.

Feasibility of intraoperative injection of radioactive tracer and blue dye for sentinel lymph node biopsy in vulvar cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine the feasibility and success rate of intraoperative injection of radiotracer and blue dye performed by the surgeon without the use of preoperative lymphoscintigraphy for the detection of sentinel lymph nodes in clinically early stage vulvar cancer. METHODS: All patients with clinically early stage vulvar cancer who underwent attempted sentinel lymph node biopsy using intraoperative injection of Technetium-99 m (99mTc) tracer and blue dye performed by the surgeon after induction of anesthesia at single academic institution from 12/2009 to 5/2022 were identified. Demographic and clinicopathologic variables were collected. Data were compared using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: One hundred sixty-four patients (median age 66.4 years) underwent intraoperative injection of radioactive tracer and dye for sentinel lymph node biopsy. Most patients (n = 156, 95.1%) were white. Squamous cell carcinoma accounted for 138 cases (84.1%), melanoma for 10 (6.1%), extra-mammary invasive Paget's disease for 11 (6.7%), and other histologies for 5 (3%). A majority of cases were stage I disease on final pathology (n = 119, 72.6%). Most patients (n = 117, 71%) had tumors located within 2 cm of the midline and underwent planned bilateral groin assessment, while 47 (29%) had well lateralized lesions and underwent unilateral groin assessment. For the patients undergoing unilateral groin assessment, 44 of 47 (93.6%) had successful unilateral mapping. Of the patients who underwent bilateral groin assessment, 87 of 117 (74.4%) had successful bilateral mapping, and 26 of 117 (22.2%) had successful unilateral mapping. Of the 26 patients who underwent bilateral assessment but only had unilateral mapping, 19 had unilateral mapping to ipsilateral groin but failed contralateral mapping, six had midline lesions with successful mapping to one groin but failed mapping to the other groin, and one had unilateral mapping to the contralateral groin but not ipsilateral groin. The total successful sentinel lymph node mapping rate in this cohort was 86.5% (243/281 total sentinel lymph node attempts). CONCLUSION: In this cohort, the overall success rate of sentinel lymph node mapping and biopsy was 86.5%. The high rate of successful sentinel lymph node mapping supports the use of intraoperative radiotracer and blue dye injection by trained providers.

Fluorescence imaging of lymphangioma circumscriptum of the vulva with aminolevulinic acid and target-type narrow band ultraviolet light.

Lymphangioma circumscriptum of the vulva is a rare lymphatic disorder. Defining the precise location of the lesion is required to select an appropriate treatment. Herein we present photodynamic diagnosis of lymphangioma circumscriptum of the vulva with aminolevulinic acid and target-type narrow band ultraviolet light device.

Imaging of Vaginal and Vulvar Malignancy.

Vaginal and vulvar malignancies are rare gynecologic malignancies but can be associated with high morbidity and mortality if undiagnosed and untreated. Advanced imaging modalities such as MRI enable assessment of the local extent of disease and evaluation for regional or distant spread. Accurate identification and description of the primary lesion and sites of involvement as well as detection and localization of suspicious lymph nodes are critical in guiding appropriate management. Additionally, radiologists should be aware of potential mimickers on imaging and the differential diagnoses for vaginal and vulvar lesions.

Dermatoscopy and Optical Coherence Tomography in Vulvar High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions and Lichen Sclerosus: A Prospective Observational Trial.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine potential discriminatory characteristics of dermatoscopy and dynamic optical coherence tomography (D-OCT) on vulvar high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (vHSIL) and lichen sclerosus (LS) compared with healthy vulvar skin. METHODS: A prospective observational clinical trial was performed in 10 healthy volunteers, 5 vHSIL and 10 LS patients. Noninvasive imaging measurements using dermatoscopy and D-OCT were obtained at several time points, including lesional and nonlesional vulvar skin. Morphologic features of vHSIL and LS were compared with healthy controls. Epidermal thickness and blood flow were determined using D-OCT. Patients reported tolerability of each study procedure, including reference vulvar biopsies. The main outcome measures were feasibility and tolerability of imaging modalities, dermatoscopy and OCT characteristics, OCT epidermal thickness and D-OCT dermal blood flow. RESULTS: The application of dermatoscopy and D-OCT is feasible and tolerable. In vHSIL, dermatoscopic warty structures were present. In LS, sclerotic areas and arborizing vessels were observed. Structural OCT in the vulvar area aligned with histology for hyperkeratosis and dermal-epidermal junction visualization. Currently, the OCT algorithm is unable to calculate the epidermal thickness of the uneven vulvar area. Dynamic optical coherence tomography showed statistically significant increased blood flow in LS patients (mean ± SD, 0.053 ± 0.029) to healthy controls (0.040 ± 0.012; p = .0024). CONCLUSIONS: The application of dermatoscopy and D-OCT is feasible and tolerable in vHSIL and LS patients. Using dermatoscopy and D-OCT, the authors describe potential characteristics to aid differentiation of diseased from healthy vulvar skin, which could complement clinical assessments.

Can late lymphoscintigraphy be omitted in the sentinel node procedure in early-stage vulvar cancer?

INTRODUCTION: In the Netherlands, the sentinel lymph node procedure protocol consists of preoperative lymphoscintigraphy combined with intraoperative blue dye for identifying sentinel lymph nodes in early vulvar squamous cell carcinoma. This study aimed at investigating the role of early and late lymphoscintigraphy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From January 2015 to January 2019, early and late lymphoscintigraphies of 52 women were retrospectively analyzed. Lymphoscintigraphy was performed 30 minutes (early) and 2.5-4 hours (late) after vulvar injection of 99m Tc-labeled nanocolloid. We calculated the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) between number of sentinel lymph nodes detected on both images using the Lins concordance coefficient and correlated with clinicopathological data. RESULTS: Thirty-four women had a midline tumor and 18 had a lateral tumor. Detection rates with early and late scintigraphy were 88.5% and 98.1%, respectively. Median number of detected nodes was 1.0 (0-7) and 2.0 (0-7). Good statistical correlation between number of sentinel lymph nodes detected on early and late imaging was found (CCC = 0.76) in most patients. In 18 women (35%) a mismatch occurred: a higher number of nodes was detected on late imaging. In 11 of 18 women re-injection was performed because no sentinel lymph nodes were visualized on early images. Late imaging and intraoperative detection showed a good statistical correlation (CCC = 0.61). One woman showed an isolated groin recurrence despite negative sentinel lymph nodes. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed good statistical correlations between early and late scintigraphy in most patients. However, in 35% of women late scintigraphy detected more nodes. In case of poor visualization after the first scintigraphy, re-injection should be considered. Late scintigraphy is probably helpful in confirming successful re-injection and in showing deviating lymph flow in women with failed mapping after the first injection and successful re-injection. Because missing metastatic sentinel lymph nodes often leads to a poor prognosis, we prefer optimal correlations between imaging and intraoperative identification. Hence, late scintigraphy cannot be safely omitted.

Performance of Indocyanine Green Compared to 99mTc-Nanocolloids for Sentinel Lymph Node Detection in Early Vulvar Cancer.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of indocyanine green (ICG) compared to that of the gold standard 99mtechnetium (99mTc-nanocolloids) in detecting sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) in early vulvar cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A single-center retrospective cohort study comparing SLN detection by 99mTc-nanocolloids and ICG was performed in patients presenting early vulvar cancer (T1/2), with clinically negative nodes. All SLN showing a radioactive and/or fluorescent signal were resected. The primary endpoints were the sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV) and false negative (FN) rate of ICG in detecting SLN compared to 99mTc-nanocolloids. RESULTS: Thirty patients were included and 99 SLN were identified in 43 groins. Compared to 99mTc-nanocolloids, ICG had a sensitivity of 80.8% (95% CI [72.6; 88.6%]), a PPV of 96.2% (95% CI [91.8; 100%]) and a FN rate of 19.1% in detecting SLN. Seventeen (17.1%) infiltrated (positive) SLN were identified out of the 99 SLN detected. Compared to 99mTc-nanocolloids, ICG showed a sensitivity of 82.3% (95% CI [73.1; 91.5%]), a PPV of 100% and a FN rate of 17.6% (3/17) in detecting infiltrated SLN. CONCLUSION: Despite its many advantages, ICG cannot be used as the sole tracer for the detection of SLN in early vulvar cancer and should be employed in conjunction with 99mTc-nanocolloids.

Coverage probability planning for simultaneously integrated boosts of inguinal lymph nodes in vulvar cancer.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Strategies for minimizing irradiation of organs at risk (OARs) from pathological inguinal lymph node (PILN) boosting are needed to minimize the risk of morbidity. Coverage probability (CovP) is a conformal planning strategy for simultaneously integrated boost (SIB). Our aim was to investigate if SIB of PILN using CovP can be delivered safely in vulvar cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten consecutive patients treated with definitive radiotherapy (RT) including SIB of PILN and with daily cone beam CT (CBCT) were included. Dose prescription was 51.2/32 fx to the elective target and 64 Gy/32 fx to the gross disease at the vulva and to positive lymph nodes (LN). PILN were contoured on both planning CT and MRI (GTV-N) and combined to form ITV-N. Each PILN GTV-N was contoured on every third CBCT, in total 11 CBCT for each patient. OARs were subcutaneous tissue (SC), inguinal vessels, skin rim, bowel, and body contour. Three plans were created for every patient: A) Standard CT-based planning; PTV-N based on GTV-NCT with a 10 mm isotropic margin. B) CT and MRI-based planning with smaller margins: PTV-N based on ITV-N with a 5 mm isotropic margin. C) CovP. The total delivered dose to GTV-Ns was estimated by accumulating dose across all fractions based on GTV-Ns contoured on CBCT. RESULTS: Thirty-five PILNs were boosted. There was no significant difference in accumulated GTV-N D98% between the three plans. CovP delivered a higher mean dose to the GTV-N D50% and D2% (p < 0.001). The planned mean doses to the OARs were reduced when applying CovP. CONCLUSIONS: SIB of PILN in vulvar cancer based on CovP and a 5 mm PTV margin does not compromise target coverage during RT and reduces the dose to normal tissues in the groin.

Magnetic resonance imaging features of a solitary fibrous tumor of the vulva: a case report.

Solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) are commonly seen in the pleura. SFT involvement of the vulva is rare, and clinical diagnosis is mainly based on histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses. We herein describe the imaging features of a 69-year-old woman with an SFT of the vulva. The SFT was hypointense on T1-weighted images, similar to muscle; however, it showed inhomogeneous hyperintensity predominantly on fat-suppressed T2-weighted images. An area of low signal intensity was evident on T2-weighted images, and the tumor showed progressive enhancement in delayed phases. The tumor also displayed heterogeneous and prolonged, persistent enhancement, and serpentine vessels were present in the peritumoral area as signal voids. Pathological examination confirmed that the lesion was an atypical SFT originating from the vulva, and it was composed of spindle cells and perivascular and stromal hyalinization. This case reveals the characteristic imaging findings of vulvar SFT and their association with the relevant pathological findings, thus contributing to the primary diagnosis and preoperative evaluation of this potentially aggressive tumor.

Imaging to optimize gynecological radiation oncology.

Gynecological cancers have particularly benefited from the increasing use of imaging to guide radiation treatment planning for both external beam radiation and brachytherapy. While the different gynecological cancers have varying use of imaging, certain trends predominate. CT represents an economical choice for evaluating initial disease extent or potential metastasis at follow-up, particularly for endometrial and ovarian cancers. F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/CT is particularly useful for assessing the initial disease extent and longer term treatment response of squamous predominant cancers, including cervical, vaginal, and vulvar cancers. With its excellent pelvic soft tissue discrimination, MRI provides the greatest assistance in evaluating the local extent of gynecological tumors, including initial evaluation for non-operative endometrial and vulvar cancer, and assessment before, after and during brachytherapy for cervix, locally recurrent endometrial, and primary vaginal cancers. With more limited availability of MRI, ultrasound can also help guide brachytherapy, particularly during procedures. The benefits of using imaging to better spare bone marrow or earlier assessment of treatment response are topics still being explored, in particular for cervical cancer. As imaging along with radiation oncology technologies continue to evolve and develop, such as with MRI-linacs and ultra high dose rate (FLASH) radiation, we may continue to see increasing use of imaging for advancing gynecological radiation oncology.

A Rare Case of a Giant Vulval Fibroepithelial Stromal Polyp.

BACKGROUND: A fibroepithelial stromal polyp is an uncommon benign pathology of the female genital tract. Rarely, these benign tumors present as a giant lesion and are clinically difficulty to distinguish from other pathologies. CASE: A 19-year-old female presented with a vulval fibroepithelial stromal polyp measuring ∼8 × 8 × 3 cm that extended from the right labia majora. Present for 2 years, the lesion caused mild discomfort and aesthetic dissatisfaction due to its size but otherwise had no associated symptoms. It was diagnosed using a combination of imaging techniques including ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging and histological analysis. It was removed surgically and has had no recurrence. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION: The consideration of both benign and malignant pathologies is paramount when differentiating vulval masses. Thorough clinical reasoning and appropriate use of imaging modalities and histological analysis are essential.

Clinical and prognostic 18F-FDG PET/CT role in recurrent vulvar cancer: a multicentric experience.

PURPOSE: The aim of this retrospective multicentric study was to investigate the diagnostic performance, the prognostic value and the impact of 18F-FDG PET/CT on treatment decision-making in patients with suspected recurrent vulvar cancer (VC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-three patients affected by VC performed 18F-FDG-PET/CT for restaging purposes in case of suspected clinical and/or radiological recurrence. Histopatology results if available and/or clinical-imaging follow-up for at least 12 months were considered as reference standard. The diagnostic accuracy and the clinical impact of 18F-FDG PET/CT were investigated. Progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated using Kaplan-Meier curves. RESULTS: Fifty-two (82.5%) PET/CT showed the presence of recurrence, while the remaining 11 (17.5%) were negative. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of PET/CT were 100% (95%CI 93-100%), 92% (95%CI 62-100%), 98% (95%CI 89-99%), 100% and 98% (95%CI 92-100%). A relevant impact of 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging was registered in 28 cases: in 12 cases moving from local therapy to chemotherapy due to the recognition of disseminate localizations; in 10 showing the site of recurrence in presence of negative conventional imaging, and in 6 cases confirming to be true negative and avoiding unnecessary therapies. Beside advanced age and HPV status, a positive restaging 18F-FDG PET/CT scan was significantly correlated with shorter PFS and OS compared to negative scan (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: 18F-FDG PET/CT demonstrated to be an accurate tool in the assessing of recurrent VC with high sensitivity and specificity and with a significant impact on clinical decision-making. Restaging 18F-FDG PET/CT findings were associated with survival.

Low incidence of pulmonary metastases in vulvar cancer patients: limited value of routine chest imaging based on a cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the incidence of pulmonary metastases in the preoperative work-up of patients with primary vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Tertiary referral centre. POPULATION: Patients treated for primary vulvar SCC from 2000 to 2018. METHODS: The pre-operative chest imaging of 452 consecutively treated patients was documented with a minimal follow-up period of 2 years. MEAN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence of pulmonary metastases, frequency of chest imaging and subsequent coincidental findings. RESULTS: In total, 80.8% of patients underwent pre-operative chest imaging. Seven patients (1.9%), with a median tumour size of 80 mm, presented with pulmonary metastases. None of the patients with early stage disease and tumour size <40 mm who underwent radical local excision (RLE) with sentinel node (SN)-procedure, was diagnosed with pulmonary metastasis. Chest imaging was performed by radiography (58.9%) and computerised tomography (CT) (41.1%). Coincidental findings were reported in 40.7% of patients who underwent CT, compared with 15.8% of patients undergoing radiography, resulting in additional diagnostics in 14.7 and 19.7% and being of limited consequence for outcome in 2.9 and 3.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of pulmonary metastases in patients with primary vulvar SCC is extremely low, and none in patients with early stage disease undergoing the SN procedure. Chest imaging was performed in the majority of patients and was associated with frequent coincidental findings leading to clinically irrelevant diagnostic procedures. Therefore, we recommend omitting chest imaging in patients with early stage disease and tumours <40 mm, considering chest CT only in patients with large tumours and/or advanced stage disease. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: The incidence of pulmonary metastases is 1.9%, none in early stage disease planned for SN. Omitting chest imaging in this group is advised.

Role of radiotherapy in the management of vulvar cancer: Recommendations of the French society for radiation oncology.

Primary vulvar carcinomas are rare gynaecological cancers, for which surgery is the mainstay of treatment. There is however a major place for external beam radiotherapy in the situation of inoperable locally advanced tumours and/or as adjuvant therapy, when there are risk factors for locoregional relapse. We present the recommendations of the French society for radiation oncology on the indications and techniques for radiotherapy in the treatment of primary vulvar cancer.

Clinical value of metabolic PET parameters of primary vulvar carcinoma.

PURPOSE: We aim to establish the prognostic value of metabolic parameters of the primary tumor in patients diagnosed with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) who underwent a pretreatment F-18 FDG PET/CT scan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 47 patients with a histopathologically confirmed diagnosis of VSCC, and who underwent a F-18 FDG PET/CT scan prior to treatment. The disease stage and age at diagnosis, and the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), SUVmean, metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) values of the primary tumor, based on a baseline PET scan, were recorded. The relationship between these factors, and progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was evaluated. RESULTS: The mean age of the 47 study patients was 69.6±1.9 years. Among the patients, 18 were in early stage of the disease and 29 were in the advanced stage. The age, and SUVmax, SUVmean, MTV and TLG values were statistically significantly associated with OS and PFS. Furthermore, it was noted that OS and PFS were significantly longer in the early stage patients than in the advanced stage patients, in patients with a tumor size <4cm than those with a tumor size ≥4cm, and in patients with a negative lymph node metastasis than those with a positive lymph node metastasis. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that PET parameters are prognostic factors for VSCC. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the prognostic value of the PET parameters of primary tumors in patients with VSCC, and as such, we believe it contributes to literature.

Vulvar aggressive angiomyxoma: a surgical challenge.

Aggressive angiomyxoma is a rare and locally aggressive mesenchymal tumour, predominantly occurring in women of reproductive age group. The term aggressive is attributed to the infiltrative nature and frequent local recurrences. They arise commonly from the vulvovaginal region, perineum or pelvis and are usually misdiagnosed as other common entities in these regions. Radiological investigations aid in the diagnosis and planning of surgery. However, the final diagnosis in most of the cases is established by histopathological examination. We herein report a case of a middle-aged woman presenting with recurrent large right vulvar mass highlighting the surgical challenges posed by its intrapelvic extension.