ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma of children < 15 years of age. CASE: We report a case of a paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma diagnosed by fine needle aspiration (FNA) in an 18-year-old man with enlargement of the right testis. The FNA material revealed mainly isolated small to median-sized malignant cells with various shapes. Among these, large rhabdomyoblasts were observed. Some neoplastic cells showed longitudinal striations. Immunocytochemistry was strongly positive against vimentin and desmin, and results for cytokeratins, smooth muscle antibody, epithelial-membrane antigen, S-100 and neuron-specific enolase were negative. Histologic examination of the surgical specimen was in agreement with the FNA findings. CONCLUSION: FNA is a safe and accurate procedure, without implications, that could be used in the outpatient setting, allowing a preliminary, preoperative diagnosis, even for soft tissue tumors.
