Primary Gastric Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Gastroenterology
• Pathology

Background:

• Primary gastric alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is an exceptionally rare malignancy.
• This condition often presents with non-specific symptoms, delaying diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a rare case of primary gastric alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.
• To highlight the aggressive clinical course and diagnostic challenges associated with this rare tumor.

Main Methods:

• Case presentation of a 32-year-old male with gastric mass.
• Diagnostic workup included imaging (CT/MRI), endoscopy, histopathology, and immunohistochemistry (desmin, myogenin).

Main Results:

• Imaging revealed a gastric mass with peritoneal dissemination and vertebral metastasis.
• Histopathology confirmed small round cells in an alveolar pattern, positive for desmin and myogenin.
• The patient experienced rapid disease progression and succumbed to septic shock within 10 days of initiating multimodal therapy.

Conclusions:

• Primary gastric alveolar RMS is an aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis.
• Integrated diagnostic approaches, including histopathology and immunohistochemistry, are crucial for accurate diagnosis and management of gastric rhabdomyosarcoma.