Alveolar type of rhabdomyosarcoma of maxilla-A case report

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common sarcoma among children and accounts for 20% of soft tissue sarcomas. In children, close to 50% of rhabdomyosarcomas arise in the head and neck. RMS of the oral cavity is rare and is seen in only 10-12% of all head and neck lesions and the involvement of the jaws is extremely rare. Histopathologically, the various types are pleomorphic type, botryoid type, spindle cell type, embryonal, and alveolar type of RMS. The alveolar variant accounts for almost 30% of all rhabdomyosarcomas and tends to arise in patients of the age group 10-25 years. We present a case of orofacial RMS in a young adult who was referred to our Institution for the management of an odontogenic lesion of the maxilla. The clinicopathological aspects and poor survival rate as a consequence of delayed diagnosis are discussed. We dentists may misdiagnose it as an odontogenic tumour due to its location in the oral and maxillofacial region. Careful clinical history and examination and investigations may help to narrow down the diagnosis. Expert opinion and referrals to oral pathologists and oncologists are essential to arrive at early diagnosis and to initiate the treatment.