The Return of a Rare Entity: Recurrent Neck Rhabdomyoma

Adult rhabdomyoma is a rare benign mesenchymal tumor showing skeletal muscle differentiation, most commonly occurring in the head and neck region. Despite its benign nature, local recurrence may occur, particularly after incomplete excision. The authors report a case of a recurrent cervical adult rhabdomyoma in a middle-aged male patient who presented with a gradually enlarging neck mass. Clinical examination, flexible endoscopy, and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a well-defined lesion involving the right side of the neck with extension toward the parapharyngeal space. The tumor was surgically excised through a transcervical approach. Histopathologic examination demonstrated large polygonal cells with abundant eosinophilic granular cytoplasm and characteristic cytoplasmic vacuolization. Immunohistochemical analysis showed strong positivity for desmin, confirming the diagnosis of adult rhabdomyoma. The postoperative course was uneventful, and no evidence of recurrence was observed during follow-up. This case highlights the importance of considering adult rhabdomyoma in the differential diagnosis of neck masses and emphasizes complete surgical excision to minimize the risk of recurrence.