Genital labial phyllodes tumour recurring during pregnancy – does pregnancy impact recurrence?

Abstract

Phyllodes tumours (PT) of the vulva are uncommon tumours. The gold standard treatment for these lesions is unknown but is intuitively presumed to be wide local excision. Incomplete resection is associated with recurrence although the time to recurrence is not known. Pregnancy is hypothesised to increase recurrence due to the production of steroid hormones oestrogen and progesterone. We report on a patient who had recurrence of a PT at a rare site (labia minora) and on the contralateral side from the original lesion, during pregnancy. These findings support that oestrogen and progesterone hormones could have played a role in the recurrence of the PT although margins were not free at the initial surgery.