To the Editor.—The second occurrence of leiomyosarcoma of the popliteal vein1 has been documented in a 67-year-old man who presented with pain, edema, and induration in the left calf. The results of phleborheography were normal, but on the basis of an abnormal phlebogram and an initially normal computed tomographic scan of the legs, the patient was given anticoagulants. Over a one-month period, local symptoms in the calf failed to resolve. On reassessment of the initial roentgenograms, a soft-tissue neoplasm was found and confirmed by angiography and biopsy. As there was no evident metastatic disease, the patient underwent above-knee amputation followed by adjuvant chemotherapy with doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide. He also underwent rehabilitation with an above-knee prosthesis. Two years later, there was no evidence of recurrence.
As noted by Nesbit and Rob,2 peripheral leiomyosarcomas are rare, with poorly understood tumor biology. As in the present case, these tumors can