Rhabdomyosarcoma mimicking as pleural effusion

Abstract

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), a malignant neoplasm of skeletal muscle origin, is the most common soft tissue sarcoma caused by infectious disease etiology, especially in nondeveloped countries. Despite being a relatively rare cancer, it accounts for approximately 40% of all recorded soft tissue sarcomas. Alveolar RMSs are seen to occur in children, while around 80% cases occur in the first three decades of life. We present here, a case of a 12-year-old child having alveolar RMS, presenting clinically and radiologically with pleural effusion.

Primary Rhabdomyosarcoma of the Pleura: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

“…Among the malignant mesenchymal tumors in children, rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common. It is considered a childhood disease because the vast majority of cases occur in people under the age of 18 [ 1 ]. RMS is slightly more common in boys with a sex ratio of 1.4.…”

“…RMS is slightly more common in boys with a sex ratio of 1.4. It mainly affects the head and neck (35%), more rarely the urogenital system (21%), the extremities (19%), and the chest (7%) [ 1 ]. Primary involvement of the pleura is exceptional.…”

“…Primary involvement of the pleura is exceptional. To our knowledge, only a few cases of pleural rhabdomyosarcoma have been reported in the literature [ 1 ]. Indeed, the first case was documented by Hamada et al in 1989 [ 2 ].…”

“…The radiological appearance of thoracic RMS is not specific in standard chest x-ray; it often shows pleurisy of variable abundance. The chest CT scan shows a generally multiple masses, large in size and varying in density depending on possible cystic and/or necrotic changes in the tumor [ 1 ].…”