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Malignant mesenchymoma of the retropharyngeal space

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2007

H. K. Leong*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, National University Hospital
C. Y. W. Kwan
Affiliation:
Department of Mount Elizabeth Laboratories, National University Hospital
R. E. Stanley
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Singapore General Hospital
S. Tow
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology, Singapore General Hospital
*
H. K. Leong, Senior Lecturer, Department of Otolaryngology, National University Hospital, 5 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore

Abstract

Malignant mesenchymoma is a very rare head and neck tumour. To date only 15 cases have been reported in world literature and all in children under 16 years of age. We present here a case of a 40-year-old man with malignant mesenchymoma of the retropharyngeal space. The clinical picture is that of progressive dysphagia, voice change, snoring and dyspnoea. CT scan showed a soft tissue space-occupying lesion of the retropharyngeal space which enhanced very well with intravenous contrast. The tumour was excised in toto and the patient given post-operative radiotherapy. Histopathology showed two unrelated differentiated tissue types (bone and fat) in addition to the fibrosarcomatous element thus satisfying Stout's criteria (Stout, 1948) for a diagnosis of malignant mesenchymoma.

Type
Clinical Records
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 1993

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