Testicular embryonic rhabdomyosarcoma : case report with brief literature review

Abstract EN

Background : Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a malignant solid tumour arising from mesenchymal tissues which normally differentiate to form striated muscle.

It can occur in a wide variety of sites.

It is one of the most frequently occurring soft tissue sarcomas and commonest in children under age of 15 years1.

Approximately 350 new cases are diagnosed in the United States each year2.

Seven to 10 % of primary genitourinary tumours are located in the para-testicular region.

Scrotal rhabdomyosarcomas originating from paratesticular tissue are most frequently seen in childhood and young adults3.

Paratesticular rhabdo-myosarcomas are very rare, comprising only 1 : 2,000 tumours of the male genital system4.

It constitutes 7 % of all rhabdomysarcomas5.

The disease may be subdivided into embryonal (which accounts for about 60 %), pleomorphic, alveolar and botryoidal types.

Embryonal RMS is most commonly found in head and neck, genitourinary and retroperitoneal sites6.

The tumour is slightly more common in boys and males (11.8 per million) than in girls and females (10.3 per million) 2.

The age incidence varies from 21 months (Sabrazes et al, 1923) to 67 years (Prince, 1942)3.

However, some had reported racial and gender differences in the incidence of RMS7.

Here we report an adult male of paratesticular embryonal RMS.

He was lost trace for a while till he present with advanced metastases to the retroperitonium and a multidisciplinary management was held later.