Rhabdomyoma of the parapharyngeal space

Abstract

Rhabdomyoma is a benign tumor that comes from skeletal tissue, it is classified as cardiac and extracardiac according to the location. Extracardiac rhabdomyomas most frequently originate in the head and neck at the larynx and pharynx, being the parapharyngeal space an exceptional location. We present the clinical case of an 86-year-old man asymptomatic patient with a laterocervical mass with years of evolution, that has increased its size progressively, with dysphagia and dyspnea on exertion in the last years. CT and MRI were requested, which provided dimensions, location at the parapharyngeal space, as well as signs of benignity. The FNA results indicated that it was a mesenchymal tumor. After cervicotomy and histological study, the diagnosis of parapharyngeal space rhabdomyoma was confirmed. We conducted a bibliographic review of this extremely rare benign tumor at the head and neck level.