March 2009.indd

SQU MED J, APRIL 2009, VOL. 9, ISS. 1, PP. 75-78, EPUB 16TH MAR 2009
SUBMITTED - 7TH MAY 08
REVISION REQ. 25TH OCT 08, REVISION RECD. 17TH NOV 08
ACCEPTED - 28TH JAN 09

Departments of 1Medicine, 3Radiology & Molecular Imaging, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman; 2Department of Medi-
cine, College of Medicine & Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

*To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: mansours@omantel.net.om

Gastric Adenocarcinoma in Association with Tuberous
Sclerosis
Case report

Saeed Ahmed,1 Ikram Burney,1 Sukhpal Sawhney,3 *Mansour S Al-Moundhri2

ABSTRACT We report the first case of gastric cancer in association with tuberous sclerosis. Tuberous sclerosis is an autosomal domi-
nant disorder which presents with a constellation of signs including benign tumours in the brain and in other vital organs such as the
kidneys, heart, eyes, lungs, and skin. A combination of symptoms may include seizures, developmental delay, behavioural problems,
skin abnormalities, and lung and kidney disease. It is caused by mutations on either of two genes, tuberous sclerosis genes, TSC or
TSC2, which encode for the proteins hamartin and tuberin respectively. These proteins act as tumour growth suppressor agents that
regulate cell proliferation and differentiation. Tuberous sclerosis has been associated with hamartomatous growths and angiomyol-
ipomas, an association with gastric cancer has not been reported; however, this could be a co-incidental finding and further cases
need to be reported.

Keywords: Mucinous adenocarcinoma; Tuberous sclerosis; Hamartoma; Lymphangiomyomatosis; Gastric cancer; Case report;
Oman.

بِيّ دَ
احلَ لُّبٌ للتَصَ املصاحبة املعدية الغدية السرطانة

حالة تقرير

سوهني سخبال برني، اكرام أحمد سعيد، منصور املندري،

خالل يتجلى من أن ميكن سائد يَّ دِ سَ جَ اضطراب وِراثيٌ احلدبي هو والتصلب . احلدبي للتصلب املصاحب املعدة لسرطان حالة أول امللخص: ندرج هنا
الصرع األعراض فقد تشمل أما . والرئتني واجللد والعيون والقلب كالكليتني احليوية األجهزة بقية وفي الدماغ في احلميدة األورام مثل معقدة عالمات
1 (رقم املورثات اثنني من في طفرات نتيجة احلدبي التصلب يحصل . الكلية والرئتني وأمراض اجللد ــوهات تش ، ــلوكية الس ــاكل املش ، النمائي ، التأخر
يصاحب . ومتايزها اخلاليا عملية تكاثر ــم تنظ يتم األورام وبذا منو جماح كبح على اللذان يعمالن ، والتيوبرين الهامارتني ــي بروتين ــفران يش ــن اللذي و2)
نحتاج إلى هذه مجرد صدفة ولهذا تكون ميكن أن . ــرطان املعدة س وكذلك ، الوِعائِيّة لِيةٌّ ضَ العَ يةٌّ مِ ــحْ واألورام الشَ العابِيّة األوَراَمِ منو احلدبي التصلب

. أخرى حلاالت تقارير

. عمان ، حالة تقرير ، املعدة ،سرطان وِعائِيّ يٌّ ْفِ ملِ لِيٌّ ضَ عَ وُرامٌ ، احلدبي التصلب ، العابِيّة األوَراَمِ ، يَّة خاطِ مُ يَّةٌ دِّ غُ رَطانَةٌ سَ الكلمات: مفتاح

WE REPORT THE CASE OF A LADY diagnosed to have gastric adenocar-cinoma, who was also known to have
tuberous sclerosis. Although, tuberous sclerosis is
known to be associated with hamartomatous growths
and angiomyolipomas and fibromas, an association
with gastric cancer has not been reported previously.

C A S E R E P O R T

A 45 years old Omani lady presented at Sultan Qaboos
University Hospital, Muscat, Oman, with a one-week
history of marked decrease in appetite and excessive
vomiting. Clinical examination showed epigastric full-
ness, an enlarged palpable hard liver and a Sister Mary
Joseph’s nodule. These are described as metastatic
lesions to the umbilicus from many primary sources
(e.g. stomach, pancreas, endometrium, ovary, cervix,

C A S E R E P O R T

A H M E D S A E E D , M A N S O U R S A L - M O U N D H R I , I K R A M B U R N E Y A N D S U K H PA L S AW H N E Y

colon, small bowel, gallbladder, prostate, lung, and
breast). In addition, the left kidney was noted to be
enlarged and easily palpable. Examination of her face
revealed multiple adenoma sebaceum consistent with
tuberous sclerosis [Figure 1]. She also had an inciden-
tal finding of bilateral corneal opacities, which have
not been reported before in association with tuberous
sclerosis. Her past medical history was significant for
diagnosis of tuberous sclerosis and a right nephrecto-
my. Initial investigations showed normal haemogram
and biochemistry, while a high resolution computed
tomography (CT) scan of her lungs showed numerous
thin walled cystic air spaces of varying sizes distrib-
uted diffusely throughout the lungs with intervening
normal lung parenchyma suggestive of lymphangi-
omyomatosis [Figure 2]. A contrast enhanced CT scan
of the abdomen showed the left kidney replaced by a
large vascular mass with fat content (arrows) repre-
senting an angiomyolipoma [Figure 3]. A non-contrast

CT brain scan showed a calcified subependymal and
left frontal lobe hamartomas (arrows) ( Fig 4). In view
of obstructive symptoms, she underwent distal pallia-
tive gastrectomy. Intra-operative findings showed an
antral mass invading into the head of the pancreas.
Metastatic disease was also noted in pre-pyloric and
portal lymph nodes as well as the peritoneum. The
histopathology of postoperative samples showed a
moderately differentiated mucin secreting adenocar-

Figure 3: A contrast enhanced computed tomog-
raphy scan of the abdomen shows the left kidney
replaced by a large vascular mass with fat con-
tent (arrows) representing an angiomyolipoma

Figure 4: Non contrast computed tomography
Scan of brain shows calcified left subependymal
hamartomas (arrows) along left lateral ventricle
and another one in left frontal lobe with sur-
rounding hypodense white matter suggestive of
demyelination

Figure 1: Image of part of face showing adenoma
sebaceum

Figure 2: High resolution computed tomography
scan of lungs shows bilateral, scattered, thin walled
cysts, with intervening normal lung parenchyma

G A S T R I C A D E N O C A R C I N O M A I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H TU B E R O U S S C L E R O S I S

cinoma of the stomach with metastatic deposits in the
pre-pyloric and portal lymph nodes as well as the peri-
toneum.

In summary, this 45 years old lady was found to
have Stage IV adenocarcinoma of the stomach, against
a background of tuberous sclerosis, and had under-
gone palliative gastrectomy, with gross macroscopic
residual disease. She was subsequently treated with
palliative chemotherapy. Following four cycles of pal-
liative 5-flourouracil by continuous intravenous in-
fusion, she had a partial response. More recently she
has developed obstructive jaundice, but still enjoys a
World Health Organisation/European clinical oncol-
ogy group (WHO/ECOG) performance status of 1
[Table 1].

D I S C U S S I O N

Tuberous sclerosis is a genetic disorder with autosom-
al dominant inheritance.1 The incidence of tuberous
sclerosis is 1 in 6,000 births. Mutations in one of two
tumour suppressor genes, tuberous sclerosis complex
gene type 1 (TSC1) and tuberous sclerosis gene type 2
(TSC2), cause tuberous sclerosis.

1,2 It is characterised
by a tendency to develop tumourous growths in wide-
spread locations throughout the body.1,3 Characteristic
skin lesions often suggest the diagnosis. Often there is
no family history since as many as 60% of cases are due
to a new germ line mutation. Usual presentations are
either with epilepsy or due to abnormal hamartoma-
tous growths noted incidentally.4

The most important hamartomas are cerebral, cor-
tical tubers, which are regions of abnormal cortical
architecture with distinctive large neuronal cells. Cor-
tical tubers cause some of the most important clinical
manifestations of tuberous sclerosis namely epilepsy,
mental retardation, and abnormal behaviour includ-
ing autism.5 Other hamartomatous lesions in tuberous

sclerosis include sub-ependymal nodules, facial an-
giofibromas, sub-ungual fibromas, forehead plaques,
shagreen patches, cardiac rhabdomyomas, and renal
angiomyolipomas and cysts.6 Pulmonary lymphangi-
omyomatosis is a rare disease which results from be-
nign proliferation of smooth muscle in lung and other
organs.7 Cystic lung changes associated with tuberous
sclerosis are exceedingly rare occurring in less than 1%
of patients.8

Genetic predisposition to neoplasia often involves
mutations in the tumour suppressors (tuberous scle-
rosis complex) TSC1 and TSC2. Inactivation of TSC1
and TSC2 genes contributes to the development of a
wide range of hamartomatous lesions. TSC genes play
a role in the phosphoinositide 3-kinase pathway, dys-
regulation of which is implicated in a wide range of
human malignancies, raising the possibility that their
activation or suppression could contribute to the de-
velopment of some sporadic cancers such as transi-
tional cell bladder cancer, renal cell cancer and spo-
radic astrocytomas. Due to improved identification of
the variable phenotypic expression, the reported inci-
dence of tuberous sclerosis has increased. Variations
in TSC1 and TSC2 mutations are related to different
phenotypic manifestations and risks of malignancy,
such as an increased incidence of the TSC 2 mutation
are reported in patients with renal cell carcinoma.

Tuberous sclerosis is well known to be associated
with gastric hamartomas; however, association with
gastric adenocarcinomas has not yet been reported.
Hamartomas are not considered to be a predisposing
factor for adenocarcinoma and our case did not show
signs of hamartomatous polyps.

C O N C L U S I O N

In conclusion, we report the case of a patient who was
diagnosed to have a mucin-secreting adenocarcinoma.

Table 1: Eastern cooperative oncology group (ECOG, Zubrod) performance scale

Performance Status Description

0 Fully active; no performance restrictions

1 Strenuous physical activity restricted; fully ambulatory and able to carry out light work

2
Capable of all self care, but unable to carry out any work activities. Up and about >50 percent of waking
hours

3 Capable of only limited self care; confined to bed or chair >50 percent of waking hours

4 Completely disabled; cannot carry out any self care; totally confined to bed or chair

Oken MM, et al. Am J Clin Oncol 1982; 5:649.

A H M E D S A E E D , M A N S O U R S A L - M O U N D H R I , I K R A M B U R N E Y A N D S U K H PA L S AW H N E Y

Although hamartomatous polyps have been reported
in the stomach in association with familial polyposis
coli, a definite association of tuberous sclerosis with
stomach cancer is lacking. However, this may be a co-
incidental finding and needs further reports to estab-
lish the association.

R E F E R E N C E S

1. Knowles MA, Hornigold N, Pitt E. Tuberous sclerosis
complex (TSC) gene involvement in sporadic tumours.
Biochemical Soc Trans 2003; 31:597-602.

2. Carsillo T, Astrinidis A, Henske EP. Mutations in the
tuberous sclerosis complex gene TSC2 are a cause of
sporadic pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis. Proc
Natl Acad Sci USA 2000; 91:11413-16.

3. Parry L, Maynard JH, Patel A, Clifford SC, Morrissey C,
Maher ER, et al. Analysis of the TSC1 and TSC2 genes
in sporadic renal cell carcinomas. Br J Cancer 2001;

85:1226-30.

4. Parry L, Maynard JH, Patel A, Hodges AK, von Deimling
A, Sampson JR, et al. Molecular analysis of the TSC1
and TSC2 tumour suppressor genes in sporadic glial
and glioneuronal tumours. Hum Genet 2000; 107:350-
6.

5. Lendvay TS, Marshall FF. The tuberous sclerosis com-
plex and its highly variable manifestations. J Urol 2003;
169:1635-42.

6. Kim BK, Kim YI, Kim WH. Hamartomatous gastric
polyposis in a patient with tuberous sclerosis: J Korean
Med Sci 2000; 15:467-70.

7. Luna C, Gene R. Pulmonary lymphangiomyomatosis
associated with tuberous sclerosis. Chest 1985; 88:473-
75.

8. Gold A. Tuberous sclerosis. In: Rowland M, Ed. Meritt’s
Textbook of Neurology. 8th edition. Philadelphia, USA:
Lea and Farber. p. 590.