Embryonic rhabdomyosarcoma of the petrous bone in a child: a case report

Abstract

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a cancer of skeletal muscle origin, and the second most common soft tissue sarcoma encountered in childhood. The  head and neck are common sites though the temporal bone is rare. Rhabdomyosarcoma represents 3.5% of all malignancies in children aged 0-14 years, with approximately 250 new cases diagnosed each year. Despite the more intensive management modalities including surgery and  combination chemo-radiation, the outcome for patients with metastatic disease remains poor. Here, we report a case of temporal bone Embryonic RMS in a three and half year-old male who was seen at Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala in 2016 and describe the clinical, radiological and histopathological presentation of relevance to RMS.

Key Words: rhabdomyosarcoma, temporal bone, mesenchymal tissue, parameningeal, chronic suppurative otitis media, multi-modality therapy, Kampala