Silent Killer in the Nose: Two Cases of Nasal Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma in Adults

• Published in: Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) Vol. 15; no. 12; p. e50430
• Main Authors: Ahmad Fahmi, Ahmad Kamil, Kamel, Syafiqah, Arasu, Kanivannen, Mianxin, Chew, Mohan Singh, Avatar Singh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Cureus Inc 13-12-2023
• Subjects: Adults; Biopsy; Bone marrow; Chemotherapy; Comorbidity; Endoscopy; Epistaxis; Medical prognosis; Metastasis; Otolaryngology; Patients; Radiation therapy; Rhabdomyosarcoma; Sarcoma; Tumors; malignant soft tissue tumor; nasal mass; parameningeal tumor; small round blue cell; alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma
• ISSN: 2168-8184; 2168-8184
• DOI: 10.7759/cureus.50430

We report two cases of nasal alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) in adult patients from our center who presented with local mass effect and systemic involvement. Our first patient had spontaneous unilateral epistaxis. Her blood investigation showed severe thrombocytopenia, and the bone marrow biopsy result showed bone marrow infiltration by non-hematopoietic malignant cells. Nasal endoscopy showed a mass arising medial to the left middle turbinate. Our second patient presented with right eye proptosis, associated with blurring of vision. Nasal endoscopy showed a right whitish nasal mass arising lateral to the middle turbinate. Both patients were diagnosed by immunohistochemical analysis showing ARMS, a soft tissue malignancy uncommon in adults. RMS in adults has a worse prognosis. Hence, the management is challenging. Early diagnostic workup is essential for the commencement of early treatment for better oncological outcomes.