Placental-site trophoblastic tumor with PET scan-detected surgically treated lung metastasis

Metastatic placental-site trophoblastic tumor (PSTT) continues to be a diagnostic and management dilemma due to its relative resistance to chemotherapy and the difficulties in diagnosing such a rare tumor. We describe a 35-year-old woman with PSTT presenting with irregular bleeding and a mass in the lung. Dilation and curettage provided the diagnosis of PSTT by frozen section of the specimen. Subsequently, a total abdominal hysterectomy was performed and the patient received three cycles of EMA-CO (etoposide, methotrexate, actinomycin D, cyclophosphamide, and vincristine) Positron emission tomography (PET) scan confirmed a persistent lung nodule that was treated with wedge resection. She is currently in clinical remission. Surgery may have a role in salvaging a patient with persistent PET-positive disease after chemotherapy.