Oral rhabdomyosarcoma in an adult male: A rare case report

Abstract

Rhabdomyosarcoma is a malignant neoplasm of mesenchymal cells, showing varying degrees of striated muscle cell differentiation. It predominantly occurs in children while rarely found in adults and involvement of the oral cavity accounts for only 10%–12% of all head-and-neck cases. Herewith, we present a rare case of spindle cell rhabdomyosarcoma in a 52-year old male, involving the mandibular gingiva, and describe the clinical, radiological, histopathological and immunohistochemical findings.

Oral rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare malignant tumor mimicking an endodontic-periodontal lesion in an adult patient: a case report

“…RMS is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children, with an annual incidence of 4.5 cases per 1 million children [ 8 ]. In contrast, it is rare in people older than 45 years and comprises only 2–5% of soft tissue sarcomas in adults [ 4 ]. The incidence of RMS differs by age, histology, and ethnicity.…”

“…In parts of Asia such as Japanese, Indian, and Chinese populations, the incidence of RMS appears to be lower than it is in Europe and the United States [ 9 ]. The common sites of occurrence are the head and neck region (35%), genitourinary tract (23%), retroperitoneum, and the extremities (17%) [ 4 ]. In the head and neck region, the commonly affected sites are the orbit, paranasal sinuses, and the neck [ 10 ].…”

“…Among cases of RMS in the oral cavity, the most frequently involved location is the tongue, followed by the palate and buccal mucosa. It may also involve the gingiva in very rare cases [ 4 ]. Therefore, the presented case of RMS arising from the gingiva in an adult is an extremely rare one.…”

“…Sarcomas of the head and neck region are very rare tumors that comprise only 1% of all head and neck malignancies in adults [ 3 ]. Among the softtissue sarcomas, rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) predominantly occurs in children (60%) and is rarely found in adults (2–5%) [ 4 ]. As for the sites of occurrence of RMS, the most frequent location is the head and neck region.…”

Rare Variant of Adult Rhabdomyosarcoma Presenting as a Palatal Swelling

“…Oral cavity as a primary site of RMS is rare with few studies reporting involvement of soft palate, tongue, buccal mucosa, maxillary sinus, and posterior region of mandible. 6 Chen et al (2015) reported seven cases, out of which only one had occurred on the palate. 5 The reported cases are generally aggressive lesions extending to the adjacent alveolus, soft palate, oropharynx and nasopharyngeal areas.…”