Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma in a young female patient metastasizing to the brain

A case of 14-year-old girl is reported in whom an alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma occurred in the soft tissues of the left forearm 4 years prior to death. Despite extensive surgery as well as chemotherapy and radiotherapy the tumor recurred locally and produced extensive metastases including a metastasis to the brain. Cerebral metastases have not yet been reported in the literature despite extensive reports on the pathology of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. The morphological diagnosis of rhabdomyosarcoma was supported by the immunohistochemical demonstration of desmin, myosin, and myoglobin in the tumor cells.