Summary
Sixty-four cases of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (eRMS) were investigated for cellular differentiation by light microscopy. Of these 64 cases 20 were studied by means of immunohistochemistry. Histologically, three subgroups could be distinguished: primitive (<10% rhabdomyoblasts), intermediate (10–50% rhabdomyoblasts) and well differentiated (>50% rhabdomyoblasts) eRMS. Vimentin-positive cells predominated in the primitive eRMS. Intermediate eRMS showed large proportions of desmin-positive cells but vimentin containing cells were also numerous. Myoglobin could only be demonstrated in well differentiated eRMS. Primitive and well differentiated eRMS mainly occurred in the head and neck area, whereas intermediate eRMS were predominantly located in the abdomen. Stage III and IV tumours predominated in cases of primitive eRMS, whereas lower stages were noted in cases of intermediate and well differentiated eRMS. Response to chemotherapy, evaluated after seven weeks of treatment, was achieved in 10/15 (66%) cases of primitive, in 16/19 (84%) cases of intermediate and 5/5 cases of well differentiated eRMS. It is concluded from the current study that the three subgroups of eRMS differ not only by cytological differentiation but also by site of predilection, stage at time of diagnosis and response to chemotherapy.
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Dedicated to Professor Karl Lennert, Kiel, on the occasion of his 65th birthday
Supported by a grant from the Bundesminister für Forschung und Technologie, in part by a grant from the Bundesminister füt Arbeit und Sozialordnung and by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
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Schmidt, D., Reimann, O., Treuner, J. et al. Cellular differentiation and prognosis in embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. Vichows Archiv A Pathol Anat 409, 183–194 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00708327
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00708327