Adult case of large sinonasal embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma with intracranial extension

• Published in: Ear, nose, & throat journal Vol. 92; no. 4-5; pp. 177 - 178
• Main Authors: Palacios, Enrique, Quiroz-Casian, Alexander, Garza Garcia, Lorena, Daroca, Philip J, Neitzschman, Harold R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Sage Publications, Inc 01.04.2013; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Adult; Care and treatment; Case studies; Causes of; Combined Modality Therapy; Diagnosis; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical imaging; Medical treatment; Neoplasm Invasiveness; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Paranasal Sinus Neoplasms - diagnosis; Paranasal Sinus Neoplasms - pathology; Paranasal Sinus Neoplasms - therapy; Rhabdomyosarcoma; Rhabdomyosarcoma, Embryonal - diagnosis; Rhabdomyosarcoma, Embryonal - pathology; Rhabdomyosarcoma, Embryonal - therapy; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; United States
• ISSN: 0145-5613; 1942-7522
• DOI: 10.1177/014556131309200406

The main histologic types are embryonal (71%) and alveolar (13%).3 They usually carry a poor prognosis due to skull base and intracranial extension.4 They also have the potential for cerebrospinal fluid dissemination, as well as distant metastasis to the lungs, cervical lymph nodes, and bones.4'6 Imaging of RMS with CT and MRI is essential for diagnosis and for the evaluation of the high rate of metastatic disease.4 Despite great advances in therapy, only a small increase in the 5-year survival rate for adult RMS has been shown.7 A good response was attained in our patient, perhaps because the tumor was of the embryonal type, and because of the multimodality therapy, resulting in an apparent complete remission of the tumor.