Risk of translocated soft-tissue sarcoma recurrence using perforator propeller flap: Case report and literature review

• Main Authors: Cesare Tiengo, Regina Sonda, Francesco Messana, Giuseppe Masciopinto, Giulia Trovarelli, Antonio Berizzi, Pietro Ruggeri, Franco Bassetto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publishing 2020-11-01
• Series: SAGE Open Medical Case Reports
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1177/2050313X20970021

Tumor seeding after intra-abdominal and head and neck cancer surgery is a well-known entity. The risk of disseminating cancerous cells during surgery is also described for soft-tissue sarcoma of the extremities. Nonetheless, after reconstructive surgery using flaps, the risk of recurrence at the donor site is extremely rare. Up to this date, the literature describes only three cases, but none of them reported a translocated recurrence after a reconstruction with a propeller flap. Here, we report a case of high-grade pleomorphic sarcoma of the knee, which recurred at the proximal edge of a propeller flap 28 months after the first excision surgery. The reasons for such local recurrences are not clear and previous works have advocated different theories: direct contamination by tumor cells, physical manipulation of the tumor and creation of surgical wounds with tumor supportive properties. Although these particular cases of recurrence are exceedingly rare, certain precautionary meticulous surgical techniques and a thorough preoperative planning are pivotal to avoid the contamination of “clean” areas during the first excision surgery.