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Pleural effusion cytology of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma
Author(s) -
Thompson Karen S.,
Jensen JoAnn D.,
Bhoopalam Nirmala,
Reyes Cesar V.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
diagnostic cytopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.417
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1097-0339
pISSN - 8755-1039
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0339(199703)16:3<270::aid-dc16>3.0.co;2-i
Subject(s) - medicine , embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma , rhabdomyosarcoma , pathology , immunostaining , pleural effusion , cytology , lesion , anatomy , sarcoma , immunohistochemistry , radiology
This case report concerns an embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the testis in a 31‐yr‐old white male patient who underwent radical left orchiectomy, followed by combined irradiation and chemotherapy, and who 2 yr later presented with dyspnea at rest, nonproductive cough, and lower back pain for 1 wk. Chest radiographs demonstrated a bilateral pleural effusion and diffuse infiltrating lesion of the pleurae, mimicking a mesothelioma. The pleural fluid displayed noncohesive, malignant, small, round cells about 2–5 times larger than mature lymphocyes. They had large, darkly staining, pleomorphic nuclei and bubbly cytoplasm with poorly defined borders. The diagnosis of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma was supported by a positive myosin immunostaining and ultrastructural findings of intracytoplasmic actin and myosin‐type microfilaments. Our case is also notable in that the tumor was a pure rhabdomyosarcoma involving a testicular origin, and the patient is the oldest reported in the literature. Diagn. Cytopathol. 16:270–273, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.