Brief Report

Intranuclear cytoplasmic inclusions—An extremely unusual finding in embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma: Report of a case diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration biopsy

  1. Surendra Kumar M.D.1,
  2. Neelaiah Siddaraju M.D.1,*,
  3. Neha Singh M.D.1,
  4. Debdatta Basu M.D.1,
  5. Renuka Srinivasan M.D.2

Article first published online: 15 JUN 2009

DOI: 10.1002/dc.21118

Issue

Diagnostic Cytopathology

Diagnostic Cytopathology

Volume 37, Issue 10, pages 740–743, October 2009

Additional Information

How to Cite

Kumar, S., Siddaraju, N., Singh, N., Basu, D. and Srinivasan, R. (2009), Intranuclear cytoplasmic inclusions—An extremely unusual finding in embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma: Report of a case diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration biopsy. Diagnostic Cytopathology, 37: 740–743. doi: 10.1002/dc.21118

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Pathology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry, India

  2. 2

    Department of Ophthalmology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry, India

*Department of Pathology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry-605 006, India

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 9 SEP 2009
  2. Article first published online: 15 JUN 2009
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 20 APR 2009
  4. Manuscript Received: 2 NOV 2008

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Keywords:

  • aspiration biopsy;
  • fine needle;
  • tumor, orbital;
  • tumor, small round cell;
  • inclusions, intranuclear cytoplasmic;
  • immunocytochemistry;
  • desmin

Abstract

Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS) is one of the commonest childhood tumors that usually presents as a small round cell tumor (SRCT). We report a case of an ERMS expressing frequent and prominent intranuclear cytoplasmic inclusions (INCIs). Our patient was a 3-year-old female child who presented with proptosis of the left eye with left sided cervical lymphadenopathy. Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) smears from both the orbital lesion and the cervical lymph nodes were cellular with features of a small round cell tumor (SRCT). The most striking cytologic feature observed was the presence of frequent and highly prominent INCIs. Despite the diagnostic dilemma caused by this unusual finding, a differential diagnosis of peripheral neurectodermal tumor (PNET) /Ewing's sarcoma, neuroblastoma, and ERMS was considered. Immunocytochemistry (ICC), using an appropriate panel of markers showed it to be a case of ERMS. Interestingly, though, not as frequent as on cytologic smears; INCIs could be appreciated even on biopsy material. INCIs in an ERMS are highly unusual and, to our knowledge, have not been documented so far. As a result of lack of any such cases in the literature, at present, the significance of this unique finding is not clear, and therefore needs to be investigated, as and when such cases are encountered in the future. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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