[Two cases of paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma]

Two cases of paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma are reported. A 15-year-old boy was admitted in July, 1983, with a 3-week history of gradually increasing painless scrotal swelling on the right side. With the suspicion of testicular cancer, right radical orchiectomy was performed and pathological examination revealed an embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the paratesticular region. Chemotherapy and retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy were performed, and the latter revealed lymph node metastasis at the bifurcation of the aorta. Radiotherapy was not done because of adherent ileus. About 8 months after the orchiectomy, he died of recurrence at pelvic cavity and brain metastasis. A 6-year-old boy presented in March, 1985, with a complaint of right scrotal swelling that was painless and gradually increasing for about a month. Transinguinal exploration revealed a paratesticular neoplastic lesion and right radical orchiectomy was performed. Pathological diagnosis was paratesticular embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. No evidence of metastasis was found by chest X-ray, excretory urogram, abdominal CT-scan or lymphangiography. As post-operative treatment, only chemotherapy was performed, and 9 months after the orchiectomy, the patient was asymptomatic. Ninety four cases of paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma found in the Japanese literature are reviewed and mainly the policy of treatment is discussed.