Cutaneous fetal rhabdomyoma - A case report and historical review of the literature

Fetal rhabdomyomas are well-documented tumors, affecting both children and adults that are composed of immature striated muscle at the sixth to tenth-week stage of development. Although there is often a predilection for the head and neck region, these tumors have been identified in a wide array of anatomic sites. A primary cutaneous presentation, however, has not yet been described. We report the first case of a fetal rhabdomyoma arising in the skin of a 1-year old girl. After the initial biopsy, an incomplete excision was performed with tumor present histologically at multiple surgical margins. In a follow-up period of 54 months, there has been no lesional regrowth or evidence of further progression. This case is detailed, in addition to a literature-based review of the historical and conceptual development of the neoplasm known as fetal rhabdomyoma.