Biomaterial Database

Rhabdomyoma of the head and neck: morphology and differential diagnosis. 2005

Torsten Hansen, and Detlef Katenkamp

Institute of Pathology, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Ziegelmühlenweg 1, 07743, Jena, Germany. TORSTEN.HANSEN@med.uni-jena.de

Rhabdomyomas of the head and neck are exceptionally rare benign mesenchymal tumors. Although histology is very characteristic, several differential diagnoses have to be considered. We investigated five patients with extracardiac rhabdomyoma of the head and neck (median age 65.9 years), four of them presenting with adult rhabdomyoma (AR) and one with fetal rhabdomyoma (FR). We analyzed the histological findings, with special regard to separation from hibernoma (two patients) and granular cell tumor (GCT; six patients, median age 31 years). Both FR and AR showed polygonal eosinophilic cells with peripherally or centrally localized nuclei and cross striations, while in hibernoma, multivacuolated cells with centrally localized nuclei were detected. In GCT, polygonal eosinophilic cells with granular periodic-acid-Schiff-positive cytoplasm were found; in one case, atypical GCT with increased pleomorphism and mitotic rate was observed. Pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia occurred both in FR and GCT. Immunohistochemically, rhabdomyomas were strongly positive for myogenic markers (desmin, actin, and myoglobin) but negative for S-100, while hibernoma and GCT strongly expressed S-100. Concerning the differential diagnosis of rhabdomyoma, GCT has to be especially considered since this tumor can undergo malignant transformation.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008067	Lipoma	A benign tumor composed of fat cells (ADIPOCYTES). It can be surrounded by a thin layer of connective tissue (encapsulated), or diffuse without the capsule.	Fatty Tumor,Hibernoma,Lipoma, Pleomorphic,Atypical Lipoma,Lipomata,Lipomatosis, Multiple,Atypical Lipomas,Fatty Tumors,Hibernomas,Lipoma, Atypical,Lipomas,Lipomas, Atypical,Lipomas, Pleomorphic,Lipomatas,Lipomatoses, Multiple,Multiple Lipomatoses,Multiple Lipomatosis,Pleomorphic Lipoma,Pleomorphic Lipomas,Tumor, Fatty,Tumors, Fatty
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D010503	Periodic Acid-Schiff Reaction	A histochemical technique for staining carbohydrates. It is based on PERIODIC ACID oxidation of a substance containing adjacent hydroxyl groups. The resulting aldehydes react with Schiff reagent to form a colored product.	PAS Reaction,PAS Reactions,Periodic Acid Schiff Reaction,Periodic Acid-Schiff Reactions,Reaction, PAS,Reaction, Periodic Acid-Schiff,Reactions, PAS,Reactions, Periodic Acid-Schiff
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D003937	Diagnosis, Differential	Determination of which one of two or more diseases or conditions a patient is suffering from by systematically comparing and contrasting results of diagnostic measures.	Diagnoses, Differential,Differential Diagnoses,Differential Diagnosis
D005260	Female		Females
D006258	Head and Neck Neoplasms	Soft tissue tumors or cancer arising from the mucosal surfaces of the LIP; oral cavity; PHARYNX; LARYNX; and cervical esophagus. Other sites included are the NOSE and PARANASAL SINUSES; SALIVARY GLANDS; THYROID GLAND and PARATHYROID GLANDS; and MELANOMA and non-melanoma skin cancers of the head and neck. (from Holland et al., Cancer Medicine, 4th ed, p1651)	Cancer of Head and Neck,Head Cancer,Head Neoplasm,Head and Neck Cancer,Head and Neck Neoplasm,Neck Cancer,Neck Neoplasm,Neck Neoplasms,Neoplasms, Upper Aerodigestive Tract,UADT Neoplasm,Upper Aerodigestive Tract Neoplasm,Upper Aerodigestive Tract Neoplasms,Cancer of Head,Cancer of Neck,Cancer of the Head,Cancer of the Head and Neck,Cancer of the Neck,Head Neoplasms,Head, Neck Neoplasms,Neoplasms, Head,Neoplasms, Head and Neck,Neoplasms, Neck,UADT Neoplasms,Cancer, Head,Cancer, Neck,Cancers, Head,Cancers, Neck,Head Cancers,Neck Cancers,Neoplasm, Head,Neoplasm, Neck,Neoplasm, UADT,Neoplasms, UADT
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293	Adolescent	A person 13 to 18 years of age.	Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths