Intraoral Multifocal and Multinodular Adult Rhabdomyoma: Report of a Case

Abstract

n i o c v i T m s T h a r The term rhabdomyoma was introduced by Zenker n 1864 to describe a benign tumor showing muscle ells with different degrees of differentiation and maurity. It is subdivided into cardiac and extracardiac arieties based on location. The cardiac variety, hich is frequently associated with tuberous sclerois, is considered a hamartomatous lesion. Extracariac rhabdomyoma is classified clinically and morphoogically into genital, fetal, and adult types, depending n the degree of differentiation. Genital rhabdomyoma is seen most frequently in the vagina or vulva of young and middle-aged women. Fetal or adult rhabdomyoma is located predominantly in the head and neck region; the former occurs primarily in the subcutaneous tissue of the head and neck of male infants usually younger than 3 years, and the latter presents most commonly in the floor of the mouth, soft palate, tongue, and buccal mucosa in middle-aged to older persons, with a male predominance of nearly 3 to 5:1. These 2 tumor types mainly manifest as a slow-growing nodule or submucosal mass that can become several centimeters in size. Because of its slow growth, the tumor may not produce any symptoms until a partial obstruction of the upper aerodigestive tract occurs, causing dyspnea and dysphagia. Adult rhabdomyoma is often solitary (70%), but may be multinodular (26%), with discrete nodules in the same anatomic area or, rarely, multicentric (4%). The occurrence of multifocal adult rhabdomy-