[Treatment of orbital rhabdomyosarcoma (author's transl)]

From March 1973 to December 1981 embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the orbit was diagnosed in 5 children. In two children exenteration was done after a previous local radiotherapy. In one child the exenteration of the orbit was done after a primary chemo- and radiotherapy because of local progression of the tumor. In two children the exenteration was avoidable by this therapy. In four of these five children this was followed by vincristine, actinomycin D and cyclophosphamide for 16 to 24 months. After the diagnosis these four children survived until now from 3 1/2 to more than 8 years. They are free of treatment and free of disease. Seven months after diagnosis one child died with an acute respiratory distress syndrome (at post mortem: hyaline membranes). In patients with rhabdomyosarcoma of the orbit it is justified to avoid the mutilating exenteration by primary chemotherapy followed by irradiation of the reduced manner. If exenteration becomes subsequently necessary the chance for survival is not diminished in our opinion.