[Sarcoma botryoides of the vagina]

The present work includes the review of eight cases of sarcoma botryoides of the vagina, seen at the Hospital Infantil de Mexico, between 1943 and 1972. It is proved that it is an uncommon tumor, which appears between the first and five years of age. The more frequent symptoms were the vaginal hemorrhage, abdominal mass and the visualization of the tumor in the vaginal introit. The evolution was fatal in the 100% of the cases, between 6 and 12 months after the first consultation, whether the treatment given was surgical, with X-rays or chemical agents. The biopsy was definitive in all cases, to corroborate the clinic diagnosis and the cystoscopy, cystogram, vaginoscopy, excretory urography and venocavography were important aids for the diagnosis. The preliminary diagnosis must be done by the general pediatrician in the presence of suggestive symptoms of sarcoma botryoides of the vagina and the radical treatment must be done immediately to obtain some possibility of life.