RHABDOMYOSARCOMA OF THE DIAPHRAGM - REPORT OF AN ADULT CASE

Diaphragmatic tumors, whether benign or malignant, may not generally r eveal any symptoms in the early phase and may be found accidentally. D uring a pre-employment physical examination, a 20-year-old woman was f ound to have an abnormal shadow on the left diaphragm, An X-ray film, computed tomography and ultrasonography showed a giant mass on the lef t side, to the rear of the heart, She underwent surgery via a left tho raco-abdominal approach, The lesion was found to arise from the left d iaphragm, and multiple disseminated lesions were scattered in the left thoracic cavity, Histological examination showed many large, oxyphili c rhabdoid cells between diffusely proliferating, spindle-shaped cells , and the tumor was subsequently diagnosed as a pleomorphic rhabdomyos arcoma of the diaphragm, of which the location and histological type w ere very rare. Despite adjuvant therapy, chest X-ray and CT revealed i ncreasing tumor growth in the left cavity and she died one year after surgery.