title: Malignant ectomesenchymoma of the nose. Case report and review of the literature.
abstract: To the best of our knowledge, a malignant ectomesenchymoma of the nose has not yet been reported. This rare tumour is composed of a mesenchymal element--usually a rhabdomyosarcoma--and a neuroectodermal element, often a neuroblastoma or a malignant schwannoma. Most malignant ectomesenchymomas have been found in children (mainly boys), but 5 adult cases, including our case, have also been reported. A 62-year-old man presented with a nasal obstruction on the right side of the nose. Diagnostic nasal endoscopy revealed a mass in the dorsal part of the right nasal cavity, which was treated by endoscopic surgery. The postoperative course was uneventful, and subsequent radiotherapy well tolerated. Since rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common component of this neoplasm, the treatment protocol for rhabdomyosarcoma would have appeared appropriate. This report reviews the literature, summarises the pathological features and possible histogenesis of the tumour, and outlines recommended treatments for malignant ectomesenchymoma.
authors.affiliation: ENT Partnership Practice Erbach, Erbach, Germany. d.brehemer@hno-erbach.de
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brehmer
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Overhoff
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marx
mesh_terms: D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000150:complications; D009669:Nose Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000235:genetics; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018233:Rhabdomyosarcoma, Embryonal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic