Clinical outcomes of rhabdomyosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma of the head and neck in children

A rare case of Ewing's sarcoma of the maxillary sinus

Ewing's sarcoma is generally an aggressive, poorly differentiated bone and soft tissue tumor affecting children and young adults, it accounts for 4%-6% of all primary bone tumors and primary facial locations occur in only 1%-4% of all cases, primarily in the mandible and calvaria. Involvement of the paranasal sinuses is rare. Here we report the case of an 11-year-old girl with no medical, surgical, or traumatic history, who presented for 1 month and progressive evolution of swelling of the left cheek, associated with pain, nasal obstruction, rhinorrhea, and a slight weight loss not quantified. A craniofacial computed tomography (CT) scan showed a mixed lytic and condensing lesional tissue process centered on the left maxillary sinus, heterogeneously enhanced after contrast injection, lysing the walls of the sinus extended to the homolateral nasal cavity and slightly infiltrating the adjacent soft tissues. An incisional biopsy was performed and the pathological study proved that it was Ewing's sarcoma. She was put on neoadjuvant chemotherapy using 6 courses of vincristine, doxorubicin, ifosfamide, etoposide which resulted in a partial regression of the tumor size by 50%. Then the patient was put on combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy. A follow-up CT scan after 6 courses of vincristine, actinomycin, cyclophosphamide, and 17 sessions of radiotherapy showed lesion stability. Maxillary Ewing's sarcoma is a rare and aggressive tumor. Therefore, early diagnosis, combination therapy, and long-term follow-up are suggested in such cases to improve the survival rate.

Soft Tissue Special Issue: Adamantinoma-Like Ewing Sarcoma of the Head and Neck: A Practical Review of a Challenging Emerging Entity

Adamantinoma-like Ewing sarcoma (ALES) is a rare variant of Ewing sarcoma that is defined by complex epithelial differentiation, including expression of cytokeratin and p40 and frequent keratin pearl formation. In recent years, ALES has been increasingly recognized in the head and neck, where it can mimic a wide range of small round blue cell tumors and basaloid carcinomas. However, there has been persistent controversy regarding whether ALES is best classified and managed as a sarcoma or carcinoma. This review summarizes the characteristic clinical, pathologic, immunophenotypic, and molecular features of ALES with an emphasis on differential diagnosis and tumor classification.

125 I interstitial brachytherapy in management of pediatric skull base tumors

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to present our preliminary assessment of the safety and efficacy of ¹²⁵ I interstitial brachytherapy (IBT) in the management of pediatric skull base tumors.

METHODS

Thirty pediatric patients with skull base tumors treated with ¹²⁵ I IBT from April 2007 to May 2017 were included in this study. The probabilities of local control (LC) and overall survival (OS) were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

The one- and two-year LC rates were 96.7% and 74.8%, respectively. The one- and two-year OS rates were 93.3% and 72.2%, respectively. No severe acute toxicity was observed. Severe late toxicities were observed in one (3.33%) of 30 patients.

CONCLUSION

¹²⁵ I IBT is effective and safe in the management of pediatric skull base tumors, with satisfactory cosmetic and functional outcomes.

Ewing's Sarcoma of the Head and Neck: Margins are not just for surgeons

Background, Methods

To describe the characteristics, treatments (systemic/local), and outcome (oncological/functional) of French patients with head and neck Ewing's sarcomas (HNES) registered in the Euro‐Ewing 99 (EE99) database. Specific patient‐level data were reviewed retrospective.

Results

Forty‐seven HNES patients in the EE99 database had a median age of 11 years, 89% had bone tumors (skull 55%, mandible 21%, maxilla 11%), 89% had small tumors (<200 mL), and they were rarely metastatic (9%). Local treatment was surgery radiotherapy (55%), exclusively surgery (28%), or radiotherapy (17%). Metastatic relapses occurred in five patients with high relapse risk factors (metastasis at diagnosis, poor histological response, large tumors). Local progression/relapses (LR) after exclusive radiotherapy occurred in three patients with persistent extra‐osseous residue and in four patients considered R0 margins (postchemotherapy surgery, without postoperative radiotherapy [PORT]), reclassified by pathological review as R1a. Pathological review reclassified 72% of R0 margins: 11/18 to R1a and 2/18 to R2. Five patients had confirmed R0 margins after postchemotherapy surgery without PORT and had no LR Eight patients had R2 margins (initial surgery without previous chemotherapy, with PORT) and had no LR With a median follow‐up of 9.3 years, the 3‐year LR rate, EFS, and OS were 84.8%, 78.6%, and 89.3%, respectively. Among the 5‐year survivors, 88% had long‐term sequelae.

Conclusion

To optimize HNES management, patients should be treated from diagnosis in expert centers with multidisciplinary committees to discuss treatment strategy (type of surgery, need for PORT) and validate surgical margins.

Ewing's Sarcoma of the maxillofacial region: A case report

Ewing's sarcoma (ES) is an uncommon malignancy, especially in the head and neck region, with only 30 cases reported so far. The mandible is more affected than the maxilla. It represents the most frequent small round cell bone tumor of childhood and adolescence. This report presented a case of 19-year-old male with primary ES in the right side of maxilla, maxillary sinus, zygoma and temporal fossa areas. The clinical, radiographic, histopathologic features and main histopathologic differential diagnosis of ES were reviewed to avoid potential diagnostic pitfalls.

Rhabdomyosarcoma of the maxillofacial region in children and adolescents: Report of 9 cases and literature review

OBJECTIVE

To review clinical presentation, histology, treatment and survival for pediatric maxillofacial rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) and evaluate the role of surgical treatment.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective analysis of medical charts.

METHODS

Files of patients, treated for primary maxillofacial RMS from 1997 to 2016, were examined for clinical presentation, staging, histology, treatment protocol and complications, recurrence and final outcome.

RESULTS

Our cohort included 4 male and 5 female patients (mean age 8.47 years). One tumor, occupying the infratemporal space, was parameningeal; the other 8, located at the mandible (4) or the maxilla/zygomatic bone (4) were non-parameningeal. All patients received chemotherapy preoperatively. Surgery was performed in 7 patients, of whom 4 received postoperative radiotherapy. The histological type was alveolar (5) or embryonal (4). Overall survival hitherto was 66,6%, depending on histology (40% and 100% for the alveolar and embryonal type respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Pediatric maxillofacial RMS originated mostly from the facial skeleton and most tumors were non-parameningeal. The alveolar type was slightly more common. An individualized multidisciplinary approach combining chemotherapy and local control mostly with surgery and selectively with radiotherapy has proven successful for the treatment of non-orbital, non-parameningeal maxillofacial RMS. Histology was a major treatment determinant and the most important prognostic factor.

Multidisciplinary therapy including proton beam radiotherapy for a Ewing sarcoma family tumor of maxillary sinus in a 4-year-old girl

BACKGROUND

Although complete resection offers the best chance for controlling head and neck Ewing sarcoma family tumors (ESFTs), it is occasionally unfeasible because of possible functional and cosmetic side effects. Planning multidisciplinary treatment for head and neck ESFT is challenging.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A 4-year-old girl had left-sided excessive tearing, nasal obstruction, and exophthalmos for 4 months. A CT scan showed a mass filling the left maxillary sinus and extending to the left orbital wall. After a diagnosis of ESFT was established with biopsy, the patient was treated with vincristine, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide/ifosfamide etoposide (VDC/IE) regimen over 50 weeks; partial maxillectomy was performed at week 15 and was followed by proton radiotherapy. The patient has remained tumor-free for 16 months, with preservation of facial form and function.

CONCLUSION

Partial resection combined with proton radiotherapy may enable maximal tumor control and minimal functional and cosmetic side effects in children with head and neck ESFT.

Recurrent orbital space-occupying lesions: a clinicopathologic study of 253 cases

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the clinical features, histopathologic classification and frequencies of various types of recurrent orbital space-occupying lesions.

METHODS

A retrospective study was carried out in 253 consecutive patients with recurrent orbital space-occupying lesions treated by surgical excision in the Institute of Orbital Diseases, the General Hospital of the Armed Police Force from January 2009 to December 2010.

RESULTS

The patients included 123 males and 130 females aged 2 to 78 years (mean, 36.2 years), and the last recurrence interval after operation ranged from 1 month to 40 years (median, 4.75 years). Of all the cases, 159 (62.8%), 65 (25.7%), 20 (7.9%), 8 (3.2%) and 1 (0.4%) had previously experienced once, twice, three, four and six times of surgeries, respectively. Among them, 29 (11.5%) cases had recurred 3 times or over, and 37 (14.6%) cases got recurrence in 10 or more years postoperatively. Most of the patients with local recurrence presented with various clinical manifestations, while 31 (12.3%) cases were symptom-free. Two hundred and thirty-one (91.3%) cases underwent surgical removal of the recurrent orbital lesions, and another 22 (8.7%) cases had to receive the exenteration of orbit. Categories of these recurrent orbital lesions after operation were as follows: lacrimal gland tumors, 65 (25.7%) cases; vasogenic diseases, 54 (21.3%) cases; neurogenic tumors, 42 (16.6%) cases; secondary tumors, 24 (9.5%) cases; orbital inflammation, 21 (8.3%) cases; myogenic tumors, 14 (5.5%) cases; fibrous and adipose tumors, 12 (4.7%) cases; lympho-hematopoietic tumors, 7 (2.8%) cases; bone or cartilage tumors, 7 (2.8%) cases; orbital cysts, 6 (2.4%) cases; and indefinitely differentiated tumor, 1 (0.4%) case. The 10 top histopathologic diagnoses were lacrimal gland pleomorphic adenoma, hemangiolymphangioma, lacrimal gland adenoid cystic carcinoma, meningioma, inflammatory pseudotumor, neurofibroma, sebaceous gland carcinoma, vascular malformation, rhabdomyosarcoma and hemangioma.

CONCLUSIONS

The variety of recurrent orbital lesions after operation includes mainly of tumors except for vascular malformation and orbital inflammatory lesions. The lacrimal gland epithelial tumor is most prone to relapse after resection, and early and longer-term postoperative follow-up is needed.

Primary Ewing's sarcoma of the skull: radical resection and immediate cranioplasty after chemotherapy. A technical note

PURPOSE

The current standard treatment of Ewing's sarcoma is chemotherapy followed by surgery, making an immediate cranial reconstruction in a one-step surgical procedure possible.

METHODS

We describe the technique used to repair a cranial defect after the resection of a primary Ewing's sarcoma of the skull in a one-step surgical procedure.

RESULTS

Bone repair with a custom-made cranioplasty immediately after resection of a primary Ewing's sarcoma of the skull avoids deformities and late complications associated with reconstructive surgery after radiotherapy and not interfere with radiotherapy and neither with follow-up.

CONCLUSION

A one-step surgical procedure after chemotherapy for primary Ewing's sarcoma of the skull could be safer, less aggressive and more radical; avoiding deformities and late complications.

High-grade supraclavicular soft tissue sarcoma as secondary malignancy after successful treatment of acute myeloid leukemia: case report and literature review

It is well known that the treatment protocols for hematopoetic neoplasms carry a high risk of long-term oncogenicity. However, few reports have been published of sarcomas as secondary malignancies. An unusual case report of a soft tissue sarcoma appearing as a secondary cancer is presented, with a review of the published data. The present report involves a soft tissue sarcoma of the neck that occurred 18 years after curative treatment of acute myeloid leukemia by induction chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation. Consecutive graft-versus-host disease affected the cervical skin. Soft tissue sarcomas appearing as secondary tumors are rare in oncology. The presented case describes the appearance of a sarcoma 18 years after curative treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. This is only the second case of this type reported in published studies.