Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma in young females presenting as breast tumor two case reports and review of the literature

Rhabdomyosarcoma presenting as a tumor of the breast is a rare phenomenon. We describe two cases of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma appearing in the breast in young females aged 16 and 21 years. Both patients died of their disease, 4 and 30 months after the diagnosis. Pathologic examination including electron microscopy and immunohistochemical staining demonstrated highly primitive and undifferentiated mesenchymal tumors in both cases. These two tumors are presumed to be metastatic deposits from the retroperitoneum and orbit. The clinical course and pathologic characteristics in 16 previously reported cases of rhabdomyosarcoma of the breast are reviewed. Surgical removal of the tumors has been suggested by most authors, whereas the value of chemotherapy and radiotherapy has not been established.