title: Adult paravertebral pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma infiltrating diffusely the whole spinal axis. Case report.
abstract: The authors report a unique case of diffuse spinal metastatic disease due to a pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) in an adult. In addition to its overall rarity, peculiar characteristics of the particular tumor included its site of origin, demonstrated radiologically as the lumbar paravertebral musculature (psoas muscle) and the transcanalicular spread into the vertebral canal, resulting in thecal compression at multiple levels. The salient clinicopathological characteristics of RMS, as they related particularly to the spine, are subsequently discussed and a short review of the major therapeutic modalities for these tumors is offered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, The Medical Center of Central Georgia, Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, Georgia, USA. knfountas-md@excite.com
authors.forename: Kostas N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Fountas
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Donner
authors.forename: Leonidas G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Nikolakakos
authors.forename: Carlos H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Feltes
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Karampelas
authors.forename: Joe Sam
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012208:Rhabdomyosarcoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery