Rhabdomyoblastic Differentiation in Head and Neck Malignancies Other Than Rhabdomyosarcoma

Overview

Journal Head Neck Pathol

Specialties Oncology
Pathology

Date 2015 Mar 12

PMID 25757816

Citations 23

Authors

Justin A Bishop

Lester D R Thompson

Antonio Cardesa

Leon Barnes

James S Lewis Jr

Asterios Triantafyllou

Henrik Hellquist

Goran Stenman

Jennifer L Hunt

Michelle D Williams

Pieter J Slootweg

Kenneth O Devaney

Douglas R Gnepp

Bruce M Wenig

Alessandra Rinaldo

Alfio Ferlito

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Rhabdomyosarcoma is a relatively common soft tissue sarcoma that frequently affects children and adolescents and may involve the head and neck. Rhabdomyosarcoma is defined by skeletal muscle differentiation which can be suggested by routine histology and confirmed by immunohistochemistry for the skeletal muscle-specific markers myogenin or myoD1. At the same time, it must be remembered that when it comes to head and neck malignancies, skeletal muscle differentiation is not limited to rhabdomyosarcoma. A lack of awareness of this phenomenon could lead to misdiagnosis and, subsequently, inappropriate therapeutic interventions. This review focuses on malignant neoplasms of the head and neck other than rhabdomyosarcoma that may exhibit rhabdomyoblastic differentiation, with an emphasis on strategies to resolve the diagnostic dilemmas these tumors may present. Axiomatically, no primary central nervous system tumors will be discussed.

Citing Articles

Teratocarcinosarcoma of the nasal cavity: challenges in the clinico-pathologic perspectives.

Maiti M, Dutta M, Datta J, Mukherjee A, Ghosh D, Mallick A Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2024; .

PMID: 39724237 DOI: 10.1007/s00405-024-09154-2.

Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor, a Heterogeneous, Aggressive Cancer with Diverse Biomarkers and No Targeted Standard of Care: Review of the Literature and Ongoing Investigational Agents.

Somaiah N, Paudyal B, Winkler R, Van Tine B, Hirbe A Target Oncol. 2024; 19(5):665-678.

PMID: 38954182 PMC: 11392982. DOI: 10.1007/s11523-024-01078-5.

Teratocarcinosarcoma of the head and neck: Clinicopathologic review of a rare entity.

Al-Zaidi R Rare Tumors. 2023; 15:20363613231204047.

PMID: 37743905 PMC: 10515544. DOI: 10.1177/20363613231204047.

Laryngeal Sarcomatoid Carcinoma With Rhabdomyoblastic Differentiation: A Potential Pitfall for Misdiagnosis As Rhabdomyosarcoma.

Shine B, Alvarez Moreno J, Coblens O, Qiu S, Clement C Cureus. 2023; 15(6):e40990.

PMID: 37503471 PMC: 10371033. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.40990.

Top 10 Basaloid Neoplasms of the Sinonasal Tract.

Baneckova M, Cox D Head Neck Pathol. 2023; 17(1):16-32.

PMID: 36928732 PMC: 10063752. DOI: 10.1007/s12105-022-01508-8.

References

Pasz-Walczak G, Jesionek-Kupnicka D, Kubiak R, Biernat W, Sygut J, Kordek R . Rhabdomyosarcomatous (myoblastic?) phenotype of metastatic malignant melanoma. A case report. Pol J Pathol. 2002; 53(2):97-100. View

Smith S, Hessel A, Luna M, Malpica A, Rosenthal D, El-Naggar A . Sinonasal teratocarcinosarcoma of the head and neck: a report of 10 patients treated at a single institution and comparison with reported series. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2008; 134(6):592-5. DOI: 10.1001/archotol.134.6.592. View

Slootweg P, Lubsen H . Rhabdomyoblasts in olfactory neuroblastoma. Histopathology. 1991; 19(2):182-4. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2559.1991.tb00012.x. View

Banerjee S, Eyden B . Divergent differentiation in malignant melanomas: a review. Histopathology. 2007; 52(2):119-29. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2559.2007.02823.x. View

Chan A, Tsang W, Chan G, Lam Y, Chan M . Dedifferentiated chordoma with rhabdomyoblastic differentiation. Pathology. 2007; 39(2):277-80. DOI: 10.1080/00313020701230716. View

Jo V, Fletcher C . p63 immunohistochemical staining is limited in soft tissue tumors. Am J Clin Pathol. 2011; 136(5):762-6. DOI: 10.1309/AJCPXNUC7JZSKWEU. View

Roy S, Purgina B, Seethala R . Spindle cell carcinoma of the larynx with rhabdomyoblastic heterologous element: a rare form of divergent differentiation. Head Neck Pathol. 2012; 7(3):263-7. PMC: 3738762. DOI: 10.1007/s12105-012-0402-3. View

Budrukkar A, Agarwal J, Kane S, Siddha M, Ghosh Laskar S, Pai P . Management and clinical outcome of sinonasal teratocarcinosarcoma: single institution experience. J Laryngol Otol. 2010; 124(7):739-43. DOI: 10.1017/S0022215109992866. View

Hicks J, Flaitz C . Rhabdomyosarcoma of the head and neck in children. Oral Oncol. 2002; 38(5):450-9. DOI: 10.1016/s1368-8375(01)00105-1. View

10.

BATSAKIS J, El-Naggar A, Luna M . Teratomas of the head and neck with emphasis on malignancy. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 1995; 104(6):496-500. DOI: 10.1177/000348949510400616. View

11.

Furze A, Lehman D, Roy S . Rhabdomyosarcoma presenting as an anterior neck mass and possible thyroid malignancy in a seven-month-old. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2005; 69(2):267-70. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2004.09.006. View

12.

Colton J, BATSAKIS J, WORK W . Teratomas of the neck in adults. Arch Otolaryngol. 1978; 104(5):271-2. DOI: 10.1001/archotol.1978.00790050037008. View

13.

ELLIS G, Corio R . Spindle cell carcinoma of the oral cavity. A clinicopathologic assessment of fifty-nine cases. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol. 1980; 50(6):523-33. DOI: 10.1016/0030-4220(80)90436-3. View

14.

Nayar R, PRUDHOMME F, Parise Jr O, Gandia D, Luboinski B, Schwaab G . Rhabdomyosarcoma of the head and neck in adults: a study of 26 patients. Laryngoscope. 1993; 103(12):1362-6. DOI: 10.1288/00005537-199312000-00008. View

15.

Nonaka D, Tang Y, Chiriboga L, Rivera M, Ghossein R . Diagnostic utility of thyroid transcription factors Pax8 and TTF-2 (FoxE1) in thyroid epithelial neoplasms. Mod Pathol. 2007; 21(2):192-200. DOI: 10.1038/modpathol.3801002. View

16.

Ueo T, Kaku N, Kashima K, Daa T, Kondo Y, Yoshida K . Carcinosarcoma of the parotid gland: an unusual case with large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and rhabdomyosarcoma. APMIS. 2005; 113(6):456-64. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0463.2005.apm_231.x. View

17.

James J, Bali N, Sloan P, Shanks J . Low-grade malignant Triton tumor of the oral cavity: a case report. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. 2003; 95(6):699-704. DOI: 10.1067/moe.2003.140. View

18.

Dutta M, Chatterjee I, Roy S, Gure P . Primary embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the anterior neck and thyroid: report of a new case with review of the literature. Laryngoscope. 2013; 123(8):2072-6. DOI: 10.1002/lary.23794. View

19.

Goldman R, Weidner N . Pure squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx with cervical nodal metastasis showing rhabdomyosarcomatous differentiation. Clinical, pathologic, and immunohistochemical study of a unique example of divergent differentiation. Am J Surg Pathol. 1993; 17(4):415-21. DOI: 10.1097/00000478-199304000-00013. View

20.

Gattenlohner S, Brocker E, Muller-Hermelink H . Malignant melanoma with metastatic rhabdomyosarcomatoid transdifferentiation. N Engl J Med. 2008; 358(6):649-50. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc0707079. View