Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the chest wall: A case report and review of the literature

• Main Authors: Mysorekar Vijaya, Harish K, Kilara Nalini, Subramanian Murali, Giridhar A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2008-04-01
• Series: Indian Journal of Pathology and Microbiology
• Subjects: Bone; chest wall; childhood; embryonal; rhabdomyosarcoma
• Online Access: http://www.ijpmonline.org/article.asp?issn=0377-4929;year=2008;volume=51;issue=2;spage=274;epage=276;aulast=Mysorekar

Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma is a soft-tissue sarcoma which has a predilection for the head and neck area, genitourinary tract and the extremities. We report a rare case of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the chest wall in an 8-year-old girl, presenting as a destructive tumor in the rib and clinically and radiologically mimicking Ewing′s sarcoma. Histopathological examination showed a small round cell tumor. Immunohistochemically, the positivity for muscle markers desmin and myogenin in the tumor cells proved to be useful for making a definitive diagnosis of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. Cytogenetic analysis revealed a high level of aneuploidy in the tumor cells, with double-minutes and additional chromosomal structural aberrations. The patient is responding well to chemotherapy.