Clear cell carcinoma of the abdominal wall: A case report with a review of the literature

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Clear cell carcinoma of abdominal wall is a very rare and aggressive disease. It is mostly related to malignant transformation of abdominal wall endometriosis. This paper provides a new case report and a literature review of primitive abdominal wall clear cell carcinoma. CASE PRESENTATION: A 45-year-old woman with a history of a two previous caesarian section presented to the outpatient department with a tumor mass evolving since 10 years in the lower right quadrant of her abdomen. Imaging studies revealed a voluminous subcutaneous mass developing at the expense of the anterior abdominal wall. Surgical resection of the mass was performed. Histopathological examination along with immunohistochemical analysis were consistent with clear cell carcinoma. Biopsies of the endometrium and ovaries were performed and were negative for malignancy. The patient underwent therefore a hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy which did not reveal any disease. The diagnosis of primitive clear cell carcinoma of the abdominal wall was then confirmed. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Primitive clear cell carcinoma of the abdominal wall is an extremely rare form of cancer with usually poor prognosis. Clinicians must be aware of the possibility of malignancy of any swelling mass occurring near or within a caesarean section scar. CONCLUSION: Reporting more such cases is still needed to further progress in the understanding of this malignancy in addition to the development of treatment strategies.