title: Rhabdomyosarcoma presenting as acute leukemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We describe a case of a very unusual presentation of rhabdomyosarcoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  An 18-year-old woman presented with symptoms and signs compatible with acute leukemia. The bone marrow picture showed diffuse involvement sustained by undifferentiated blasts that turned out to be of striated muscle origin by immunochemistry. While it is well known that rhabdomyosarcoma may metastasize to the bone marrow, extensive marrow involvement with leukemic spread as a unique clinical manifestation is extremely rare.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our observation further confirms the need to consider rhabdomyosarcoma among the possible differential diagnoses in patients who present with a leukemic picture and atypical blasts lacking all hematopoietic markers.
authors.affiliation: Section of Hematology and BMT Center Cremona General Hospital, Cremona, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morandi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Manna
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sabattini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Porcellini
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology*; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003609:Dactinomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000473:pathology*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D012008:Recurrence; D012208:Rhabdomyosarcoma / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D003609:Dactinomycin; D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide