Vaginal leiomyoma presenting as a lateral vaginal wall mass

Abstract

Leiomyomas are classified as benign mesenchymal neoplasms and consist of smooth muscle cells with variable amounts of fibrous stroma. The tumours occur most frequently in the uterus, affecting 20–30% of women of reproductive age but vaginal leiomyomas are rare with only around 300 cases reported since the first case was described in 1733. These tumours are thought to arise from Müllerian smooth muscle cells in the sub-epithelium of the vagina. Vaginal leiomyomas are usually situated in the anterior vaginal wall. This article reports a case of primary leiomyoma arising from the left lateral vaginal wall, which presented with vaginal discharge and a lateral vaginal wall mass.