Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the uterine cervix.
BACKGROUND
Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) of the uterine cervix is a rare and extremely malignant entity. Generally, embryonal RMS originating in the uterine cervix is usually diagnosed in adolescence. Before the introduction of effective adjuvant chemotherapy, the prognosis of these lesions was poor. We have treated a young woman suffering from this disease using a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy (RT) with excellent results. The medical community should keep in mind that embryonal RMS of the uterine cervix, despite its malignancy and rarity, can be cured if adequate treatment is given.


METHODS
A case of a young woman aged 20, presenting with vaginal bleeding, is reported. The histological examination revealed embryonal RMS of uterine cervix. The patient was treated with a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and RT. A review in the literature, which is also presented, shows that the combined treatment of embryonal RMS using surgery and multidrug chemotherapy has significantly improved survival.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with favourable prognostic parameters, such as localised disease without deep myometrial invasion, single polyp and embryonal histologic subtype, can effectively be treated by surgery. Patients with unfavourable prognostic parameters seem to benefit from a multimodality approach including surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy and RT.
Koukourakis
Georgios V
GV
University of Athens Medical School, 2nd Department of Radiology, Radiation Therapy Unit, ATTIKON University Hospital Greece, 153 41 Athens, Greece. gkoyokoyrakis@yahoo.gr
Kouloulias
Vassilios
V
Zacharias
Georgios
G
Maravelis
Georgios
G
Papadimitriou
Christos
C
Platoni
Kaliopi
K
Gouliamos
Athanasios
A
D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001918:Brachytherapy; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D007069:Ifosfamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D010052:Ovariectomy; D010315:Particle Accelerators; D017785:Photons / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011127:Polyps / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000379:methods; D020266:Radiotherapy, Conformal; D012074:Remission Induction; D018233:Rhabdomyosarcoma, Embryonal / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D014592:Uterine Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology; D055815:Young Adult
D005047:Etoposide; D002945:Cisplatin; D007069:Ifosfamide