Primary rhabdomyosarcoma of the cerebellum--a light, electron microscopic, and immunohistochemical study

A primary cerebellar rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) in a six and a half year old boy is reported. Microscopy of the surgical material revealed lobules of closely packed cells with a high mitotic rate, pleomorphic hyperchromatic nuclei and scant cytoplasm. At their periphery, the lobules merged with rounded cells with similar nuclei but more abundant cytoplasm. These areas were surrounded by interlacing fascicles of strap cells, which were occasionally multinucleated and showed cross striations. Electron microscopy (EM) revealed the primitive nature of the closely packed cells; however, occasional intermediate size filaments were present within their cytoplasm and focal basement membrane accumulation was observed. Cells with more abundant cytoplasm had large accumulations of thick and thin filaments while strap cells showed well-developed cross striations. Immunohistochemical studies (peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique) showed vimentin in the primitive cells and desmin, myoglobin and adenosine triphosphatase as the tumor cells appeared more differentiated. Immunoreaction with antibodies against glial fibrillary acidic protein, S-100 protein and neurofilament protein were negative. Electron microscopic and immunohistochemical studies in this case demonstrated that this was an exclusively mesenchymal tumor with rhabdomyoblastic differentiation and that the pattern of differentiation follows that seen in normal myogenesis.