Alveolar soft part sarcoma of the sphincter ani externus: Control of vaginal bleeding by recurrent embolisations

Alveolar soft part sarcoma is a rare malignancy mainly localized in the deep soft tissue of the extremities. This is the first report of an alveolar soft part sarcoma originating from the sphincter ani externus. A 27-year-old pregnant woman presented with a tumour located in the right ischiorectal fossa which had rapidly enlarged during pregnancy 6 years after first detection. Admitted to our hospital, she presented with a continuous strong vaginal bleeding, multiple pulmonal metastases and an inoperable local tumour mass. Palliative chemotherapy was unsuccessful, control of local bleeding was only possible with multiple embolisations. The patient died 43 months after initial diagnosis. Our intention is to point out the remarkable origin, a rapid tumour growth during pregnancy, and the possibility of controlling massive tumour bleeding by embolisation.