Histopathological temporal bone study of the metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma

We describe the histopathological temporal bone findings of metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma in the patient with hearing loss and facial nerve paralysis. A 45-year-old female was admitted to the hospital with a mass of the left tibia. Surgical operation was performed and the pathological diagnosis was alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. She showed left facial palsy and bilateral hearing loss. She was pronounced dead because of respiratory arrest caused by multiple metastases including meningeal metastasis after 14 months of total clinical course. Histological examination of the temporal bone revealed that the VII and VIII cranial nerves were involved by tumor cells in the internal auditory canal, and that the organ of Corti was damaged. In addition, the membranous labyrinth showed labyrinthitis. No remarkable bony destruction was observed in the internal auditory canal. Histopathological examination revealed that hearing loss and facial nerve paralysis of the patient was due to temporal bone metastasis of rhabdomyosarcoma.