Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma originating between the fourth and fifth metatarsal—Case report and literature review

Received 21 October 2009; received in revised form 16 February 2010; accepted 2 March 2010. published online 12 April 2010.

Abstract

We report a case of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma arising between the fourth and fifth metatarsal. A 13-year-old boy presented to outpatients with a history of pain and swelling in the lateral aspect of his left forefoot. Plain radiographs and MRI showed a soft tissue mass displacing the fourth metatarsal. Percutaneous biopsy revealed an alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. Staging scans showed advanced metastatic disease. The patient was treated with chemotherapy. This highly malignant lesion remains challenging to diagnose, and difficult to treat successfully.

Keywords: Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, t(1 ;13) translocation, t(2 ;13) translocation, STS-COG, Soft tissue tumour

a Department of Surgery, Beaumont University Hospital, Beaumont, Dublin 9, Ireland

b Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, Co. Louth, Ireland

c Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Eccles Street, Dublin, Ireland

d Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital, Finglas, Dublin, Ireland

Corresponding author. Tel.: +353 1 8093000; fax: +353 1 8376982.

PII: S1268-7731(10)00035-4

doi:10.1016/j.fas.2010.03.003

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