Intramuscular Myxoma - A Rare Tumor

Intramuscular myxoma is a rare benign soft tissue tumor involving the musculoskeletal system. The incidence is reported as varying from 0.1 to 0.13 per 100,000 population. Most patients present between the fifth and sixth decade of life. The swelling commonly occurs in the large muscles of the thigh, shoulder, buttocks and arms. The tumor can be diagnosed with certainty only with histopathological examination. Local recurrence is rare after excision.

A 73 year old male patient presented to us with a swelling of the anterior aspect of the middle third of the right thigh measuring about 8 × 4 centimeters. He was thoroughly investigated and the swelling excised in toto. The soft cystic swelling excised was found on histopathology to be an intramuscular myxoma.

This case report is being presented since the tumor is rare and also an important consideration in the differential diagnosis of sarcomas, intramuscular lipoma, hemangioma, hematoma, and desmoid tumor. Another important feature is that it can be diagnosed with certainty only after excision.