Adult paravertebral pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma infiltrating diffusely the whole spinal axis. Case report.
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.
Fountas
Kostas N
KN
Department of Neurosurgery, The Medical Center of Central Georgia, Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, Georgia, USA. knfountas-md@excite.com
Donner
Robert S
RS
Nikolakakos
Leonidas G
LG
Feltes
Carlos H
CH
Karampelas
Ioannis
I
Robinson
Joe Sam
JS
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