Rhabdomyosarcoma of the Head and Neck: An Update

Imaging of pediatric head and neck rhabdomyosarcomas with emphasis on magnetic resonance imaging and a review of the literature

We present the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound appearances of three cases of pediatric head and neck rhabdomyosarcomas, involving the orbit, parameningeal region (nasopharynx and nasal sinus), and trapezius muscle anatomically. The histopathological subtypes included two embryonal and one alveolar. MRI is a superior imaging technique with its high contrast resolution of soft tissue tumors and multiplanar noninvasive capability. The literature on CT and MRI appearances of head and neck rhabdomyosarcomas is reviewed.

Delayed resection in the management of non-orbital rhabdomyosarcoma of the head and neck in childhood

This retrospective study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of delayed resection on outcome of head and neck rms in a single institution which has experience in cranial base surgery. Since 1988, patients with primary non-orbital rms of the head and neck following treatment at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, were evaluated by the Department of Otolaryngology, Eye and Ear Hospital at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center either at the time of presentation or when response to chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy was thought to have been optimized for the possibility of definitive surgery. Medical records of patients who did or did not have delayed surgery were reviewed and compared with respect to demographics, tumor stage, response to therapy, survival, and cosmetic results. Of 16 children diagnosed with non-orbital head and neck rms from 1988-1994 and treated with chemotherapy according to IRS II-IV, 3 had group I or II disease following extensive surgery at diagnosis. Thirteen had group III or IV disease. Of these, 6 patients had delayed resection and 7 did not. Delayed resection was undertaken 3-12 months (median, 4 months) from diagnosis in 4 children who had a partial response (PR) and 2 children who had stable disease (SD) with chemotherapy and/or radiation. Delayed resection converted all children to complete responses (CR), including one child with clinical SD and one with PR who were found to have no viable tumor at surgery. The overall percentages of CRs for patients with group III or IV disease (documented any time post-diagnosis) were at least as good for patients who had undergone delayed surgery as for those who had not (100% vs. 71%, p = .465). Median survivals for patients with advanced disease were 3 1/2 years and 2 years, respectively (p = .2801). Cosmetic and functional problems attributable to surgery were not severe but included facial asymmetry (n = 4), trismus (n = 1), cranial nerve deficits (n = 1), and abnormal dentition (n = 1). In locally extensive head and neck rms, cranial base surgery should be considered after initial cytoreductive therapy, since it may contribute to achievement of CR and to survival with acceptable morbidity.

Rhabdomyosarcoma of the Nose and Paranasal Sinuses in Adults and Children

OBJECTIVE: To determine the biologic behavior, risk factors for recurrence, and influence of multimodality therapy on outcome for children and adults with rhabdomyosarcoma of the nose and paranasal sinuses.

DESIGN: Retrospective review of medical records.

PATIENTS: During a 36-year period 37 patients (median age, 23.0 years) with histologically confirmed rhabdomyosarcoma of the nose and paranasal sinuses were treated for cure. Median follow-up was 28 months (range, 1 to 260 months). Histologic subtypes included embryonal, 16; alveolar, 15; mixed, 1; and unclassified, 5. Cervical metastases were present in 38%. Patients were treated with surgery, 4; radiotherapy, 3; chemotherapy, 3; surgery and radiotherapy, 1; surgery and chemotherapy, 1; chemotherapy and radiotherapy, 24; and chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery, 1.

RESULTS: The overall 5-year survival was 44%. For patients treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy or chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery, the 5-year survival was 60%, compared with 19% for patients treated with the other forms of therapy. Factors associated with poorer survival were adult onset of disease, alveolar histology, and treatment with systemic chemotherapy for less than 1 year. Patients receiving chemotherapy for greater than 1 year had a 5-year survival of 82%, compared with 71 % for those with less than 1 year of treatment. Improved survival was associated with a lower incidence of distant metastasis.

CONCLUSIONS: A combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy may provide the best means of obtaining local-regional control for rhabdomyosarcoma arising in the nose and paranasal sinuses. The risk of regional disease is high, requiring comprehensive radiotherapy to the neck in addition to the primary site. Surgical resection should be reserved for patients with residual disease after chemotherapy and radiotherapy, Administration of chemotherapy for more than 1 year is associated with improved survival because of a decreased incidence of metastatic disease.

Imaging the sphenoid bone and basiocciput: pathological considerations

Many diverse pathologic processes can involve the sphenoid bone because of its complex embryologic origin. In addition to primary neoplasia, the central location of the sphenoid predisposes it to involvement by many intracranial and extracranial lesions. The presence of multiple foramina and fissures offer "paths of least resistance" that allow the spread of pathology across the skull base. Sphenoid sinus disease also accounts for a number of pathologic entities occurring in this vicinity. This article reviews the more common lesions affecting the sphenoid bone as well as their CT and MR appearance.

Pediatric head and neck rhabdomyosarcoma

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), the most common malignant soft-tissue tumor in the pediatric population, occurs most often in the head and neck region. Major advancements in the management of these aggressive tumors have been achieved in the last 20 years on three fronts: chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. Surgery, with the advent of skull-base, craniofacial, and free-tissue-transfer reconstructive techniques, has once again become part of the primary management of these tumors. Prior to 1960, RMS was uniformly fatal; now, with the introduction of multimodality treatment regimens, two thirds of patients can expect long-term survival.

Importance of a post-therapeutic residue in the prognosis of head and neck rhabdomyosarcoma in children

Enhanced contrast computed tomography (CT) was performed in 23 children treated for head and neck rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). The CT studies were retrospectively reviewed by two senior radiologists. Analysis of these CT studies revealed to separate groups of patients. One group (12 patients) had a post-therapeutic residue defined as soft tissue thickening at the original site, which remained stable over a period of 3 months and caused no mass effect on adjacent structures. Of these 12, eight showed enhancement at the area of thickening. Nine of these 12 patients relapsed. The other group (11 patients) demonstrated no post-therapeutic residue; only three of these patients relapsed. In this study the presence of a post-therapeutic residue was significantly associated with a poor prognosis, using a Fischer's test (P = 0.04).

Rhabdomyosarcoma of the infratemporal fossa: diagnostic dilemmas and surgical management

We present a rare case of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma in the infratemporal fossa presenting as an atypical facial pain syndrome. Radiographic imaging of the patient is discussed, and magnetic resonance imaging is recommended as the diagnostic modality of choice when mass lesions of the infratemporal fossa are suspected. Finally, a temporal approach to the infratemporal fossa is described, along with its advantages as an application for tumor resection in this anatomic region.