Eye
Conjunctiva
Mesenchymal tumors
Rhabdomyosarcoma-conjunctiva
Author: Nat Pernick, M.D.
Last author update: 1 November 2015
Last staff update: 27 May 2021
Copyright: 2004-2023, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Rhabdomyosarcoma conjunctiva
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Case reports | Treatment | Gross description | Microscopic (histologic) description | Positive stains | Additional referencesCite this page: Pernick N. Rhabdomyosarcoma-conjunctiva. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/eyeconjrms.html. Accessed October 3rd, 2023.
Definition / general
- See also Rhabdomyosarcoma of orbit
- Botryoid subtype of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma affects mucosal surfaces, including conjunctiva
- Children present with rapidly enlarging mass
- Considering all ocular sites combined, recurs in 18%, metastasizes in 6%, causes death in 3% (Trans Am Ophthalmol Soc 2001;99:133)
Case reports
- 14 year old girl with botryoid tumor (Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2006;244:517)
Treatment
- Surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy
Gross description
- Fleshy, gelatinous mass that may resemble a cyst
- No inflammation, lid edema or conjunctival redness
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Hypercellular myxoid tumor separated from surface epithelium by cambium layer (multiple layers of condensed tumor spindle cells)
- Tumor cells are spindled with minimal cytoplasm and bland nuclei or are round rhabdomyoblasts with eosinophilic cytoplasm (cross striations in < 10% of patients) and large hyperchromatic and pleomorphic nuclei
- Background is extracellular mucopolysaccharide resembling cystic spaces
Positive stains
- Desmin, muscle specific actin, vimentin
- Rarely myosin
Additional references
