Particle implantation combined with chemotherapy for rhabdomyosarcoma of the head and neck: A 8-year long-term follow-up case report

Rhabdomyosarcomas (RMSs) are highly malignant soft-tissue sarcomas. Head and neck RMSs often pose unique challenges to treatment because of their closeness to important structures. We here report a rare case of a 1-year-old boy with a 1-month history of right eye swelling and an eye mass. Biopsy of deep tumors in the maxillofacial region supports embryonal RMS. Postoperative positron emission computed tomography showed a 5.0 cm × 4.8 cm × 4.2 cm malignant tumor in the right maxillary region. In accordance with the international RMS study group guideline, the child was diagnosed with IIIa and TNM stage T2bN1M1 embryonal RMS. The child was treated with a combination of chemotherapy and ¹²⁵I seed implantation radiotherapy and eventually achieved partial remission. This case report shows that ¹²⁵I seed implantation is a safe and effective means of delivering radiotherapy to young children with head and neck RMSs. It may be an option for children with RMSs for whom surgery or external radiotherapy is unsuitable.