A Case of Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma of the Nasal Cavity in an Adult: An Unusual Location.

Rhabdomyosarcoma is a common soft tissue tumor in children but rare in adults. Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma represents a subtype of rhabdomyosarcoma, extremely rare in adults, especially within the nasal cavities. Therapeutic protocols for adults are often based on those used in pediatric cases. We present the case of a 56-year-old female patient with a history of breast cancer who developed alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma of the nasal cavity, stage III, managed initially with chemotherapy resulting in partial response. Subsequently, the patient underwent concomitant chemoradiotherapy. The clinical course was marked by local remission with metastatic progression after 18 months. Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma is uncommon in adults, and its therapeutic management remains non-standardized. However, it is typically based on initial chemotherapy followed by local treatment. Despite therapeutic advances, the prognosis remains poor.

Cervical Lymph Node Metastasis From Medulloblastoma in a Young Adult: Case Report and Literature Review.

Medulloblastoma, an embryonal tumor located in the posterior fossa of the brain, originates from the neuro-epidermal layer of the cerebellum. It is the most prevalent malignant tumor in children, while it is rare in adults and predominantly affects males. Multimodal therapeutic interventions, such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, have substantially enhanced the prognosis of this condition. Extraneural metastases are infrequent. We present a case of medulloblastoma relapse with nodal metastasis in a 28-year-old adult.

Paraneoplastic Dermatomyositis Revealing the Metastatic Progression of an Undifferentiated Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Case Report From Northern Morocco.

Dermatomyositis (DM) is an inflammatory disease of striated muscles and skin that can occur sporadically or rarely be associated with malignancy, thereby serving as a potential clinical indicator or harbinger of underlying cancer. Knowing the pathognomonic, clinical, and biological features of DM plays a pivotal role in its recognition. Its correlation with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is particularly prevalent in regions where the incidence of NPC is notably high, underscoring the intricate interplay between immune dysregulation and oncogenesis. Specially, in the context of patients previously treated for NPC, the emergence of DM raises the clinical suspicion of metastatic progression or recurrence of the cancer. Thus, early recognition of DM-associated paraneoplastic syndromes can facilitate prompt intervention and optimize patient outcomes. We present a case of metastatic progression in a patient treated for NPC, revealed by the pathognomonic, clinical, and biological signs of DM.

Regression of a Myeloid Sarcoma of the Nasal Cavity With Extension to the Cheek After Radiotherapy.

Myeloid sarcoma is rare and nasal chloroma is an uncommon initial manifestation of acute myeloid leukaemia. The correct diagnosis is a big challenge. In this report, we present a case of myeloid sarcoma of the nasal cavity with extension to the soft tissues of the face. A 53-year-old woman with a past medical history of thalassemia, not followed up, presented with a progressive greyish swelling in her right cheek associated with a nasal obstruction more marked on the right side and unilateral lacrimation. The diagnosis of myeloid sarcoma was based on histopathology and immunohistochemistry. Bone marrow aspiration testing revealed blasts that met the criteria for acute leukaemia. She received external radiotherapy at a total dose of 30 Gy in 15 fractions without systemic therapy, because she refused to get chemotherapy. She remained under surveillance and symptomatic treatment. The patient was examined four months after the end of the irradiation and showed a spectacular improvement in her clinical symptomatology with a clear decrease in nasal mass.

Hand Pilomatrixoma: A Rare Localization.

Pilomatrixoma, also known as calcified epithelioma of Malherbe, is the most common tumor of the hair follicle. It is a benign tumor in a young adult. Pilomatrixoma is most commonly located in the head and neck. It is usually misdiagnosed and confused with other skin lesions. The authors report a rare localization of this tumor in the left hand in a 40-year-old patient treated surgically without recurrence after four years of follow-up.

Situation of pediatric radiotherapy in Morocco: First national survey.

INTRODUCTION: Pediatric radiotherapy (PR) faces several issues in middle- and low-income countries. AIM: Our study is a cross-sectional observation which aimed to describe the current situation of PR in Morocco in order to identify the needs and to propose an organizational shema for this discipline. METHODS: The collection of data used two surveys, one of which was intended to the heads of the radiotherapy department of all university hospital centers (UHC) in Morocco concerning the hospital's infrastructure, human resources, technical and the course of radiotherapy. A second survey was intended for all radiation oncologists trained and working in Morocco with data related to the practice of PR. RESULTS: In 2021, 295 children were treated in the radiotherapy departments of the seven university hospitals in Morocco. One hundred and two radiation oncologists responded to our survey. The multidisciplinary consultation board is held in five university hospitals, four of which have a complete multidisciplinary team. The children are sent to another structure by default of anesthesia according to 21% of the radiotherapists questioned. The three-dimensional technique is available in all university hospitals. Intensity modulated radiotherapy is available in 5 UHC. Additional training in radiotherapy after residency was necessary according to 60% of the radiotherapists questioned. CONCLUSION: Despite the progress that Morocco has made in terms of infrastructure and radiotherapy equipment, this first national survey has identified some weaknesses and developed some recommendations for the organization of PR.

Epidemiological Profile and Clinicopathological, Therapeutic, and Prognostic Characteristics of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma in Northern Morocco.

BACKGROUND: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a multifactorial disease mainly affecting the Asian and North African populations including Morocco. This study aimed to determine the epidemiological profile of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Northern Morocco as well as its clinicopathological, therapeutic, and prognostic characteristics. METHODS: 129 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma followed at the regional center of oncology of Tangier in the period between April 2017 and July 2019, and diagnosed elsewhere from March 2000 to February 2019, were included in this study. Statistical analysis of the data was realized using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software. RESULTS: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) represented 5% of all cases with a median age of 50. The most affected age group was 40-54 years (41.1%). Of all patients, 65.9% were men and 34.1% were women with a sex ratio of 1.93 (Male/Female). Undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinomas were the most common histological type affecting 96.12% of patients. At diagnosis, the majority of patients (82.2%) had an advanced stage of NPC (III, VIa, b, c) including 5.4% of metastatic cases (IVc). Most cases (86%) had lymph node involvement with cervical mass being the most common clinical presentation. 81.4% of patients received radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy. Among these patients, 54.3% had concurrent radiochemotherapy preceded by induction chemotherapy. The 5-year overall survival (OS) was 86.8% for all patients. It represented 91.3% for early stages, 87.9% for locally advanced stages, and 57.1% for the metastatic stage significantly. The disease-free survival (DFS) at 5 years was 87.6% knowing that relapse occurred in 16 cases. CONCLUSIONS: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a particular disease with a late declaration. It is common in Morocco as is the case in other endemic areas with a high prevalence. Patients' survival is significantly influenced by disease staging.