Paratesticular Rhabdomyosarcoma in a 30 Months Old Child at the Lagoon Mother and Child Teaching Hospital (CHUMEL) in Cotonou

Abstract

Introduction: Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue tumor in children. Modern multidisciplinary approaches make it possible to better characterize the different entities and to adapt the treatment accordingly. Paratesticular localization is rare and aggressive. We report here a case of paratesticular localization in a 30 months old boy. Observation: The parents would have noticed a small, painless and rapidly evolving testicular mass in the 6 months old child. Not having health insurance, they went to the hospital only 5 months later. This was followed by a total ablation of the mass (without orchidectomy) and a pleiomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma had been concluded. No chemotherapy was performed and the mass recurred 2 months later. This time, its ablation was followed by a series of non-adapted chemotherapy sessions with irregular follow-ups leading 8 months later to the child’s admission at our department. He presented with a degraded general condition, associating an infectious and anemic syndrome, an important increase of the scrotal mass and the occurrence of a tumoral mass in the left iliac fossa. The tumoral nature of these masses was confirmed on abdominal ultrasound and scan. The tumor was classified stage II (TNM: initial Tumors, Nodes, Metastasis). The multidisciplinary medical staff indicated a total ablation of the two masses, followed by a new session of adapted chemotherapy, in the absence of radiotherapy means. The child died in the immediate surgery follow-ups due to cardiac arrest. Conclusion: In our context of insufficient technical facilities, only early detection and adapted imperative chemotherapy, would have enabled a durable remission in front of the paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma.