Abstract
Background Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a rare malignancy derived from skeletal muscle with approximately 40% of cases involving the head and neck. The pleomorphic variant, however, most commonly occurs in the extremities and has never, to our knowledge, been described in the pharynx. Methods A 46-year-old man with no significant medical history presented to the emergency department complaining of hemoptysis. A CT scan of the head and neck revealed a hypopharyngeal mass originally favored to be a benign process. Results Operative endoscopy revealed a previously unseen mucosal ulceration, and subsequent biopsy resulted in the final diagnosis of pleomorphic RMS. Conclusion Although quite rare, RMS should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a hypopharyngeal mass. This articleis a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | E85-E87 |
Journal | Head and Neck |
Volume | 37 |
Issue number | 7 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 1 2015 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- head and neck cancer
- hypopharynx
- malignancy
- rhabdomyosarcoma
- staging
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Otorhinolaryngology