PRIMARY OVARIAN RHABDOMYOSARCOMA - A REPORT OF 13 CASES

Primary ovarian rhabdomyosarcomas were found in 13 patients aged 7 to 79 (mean 37) years who had reported abdominal pain and swelling. Six t umors involved the right ovary, 3 involved the left, 1 involved both, and the laterality was unknown in 3 cases. Four tumors were stage I, 2 were stage II, 4 were stage III, and 2 were stage IV; the stage of 1 tumor is not known. The tumors ranged from 10 to 19.5 (average 16) cm in diameter and had solid sectioned surfaces that varied from yellow t o white to pink and from gelatinous to hemorrhagic. Microscopically, 1 1 tumors were embryonal and 2 were alveolar rhabdomyosarcomas. Follow- up information, available for 11 patients, revealed that 7 died of dis ease 10 days to 26 months postoperatively; 2 of these patients had sta ge II disease, 3 had stage III, and 2 had stage IV. Four patients were alive 2 to 9 months postoperatively; 3 had stage I and 1 had stage II I disease. These 13 tumors and an additional 10 from the English-langu age literature are reviewed and the differential diagnosis of ovarian rhabdomyosarcoma is discussed.