ENIGN TUMORS OF SKELETAL MUSCLE THAT
B fulfill the criteria for rhabdomyoma are rare; only a few cases have been reported. The present case was reported first in 1955 by Parsons and PurolO as a rhabdomyoma of the left sternohyoid muscle. In 1960, after the patient had died of cardiac disease, postmortem examination revealed an encapsulated rhabdomyoma of the larynx.
Because this case represents the first instance of multiple occurrence of benign rhabdomyoma and because the rarity of these tumors may cause difficulty in histological interpretation, the following discussion was felt warranted.
REPORT OF A CASE
An 82-year-old white man entered San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, Calif., Nov. 24, 1960, because he could no longer care for himself. He had had a rhabdomyoma of the left sternohyoid muscle resected in 1955. At that time symptoms referable to the neoplasm had been present for more than 50 years, and a biopsy 20 years earlier was identical with the resected specimen. Soon after this rhabdomyoma was resected the patient developed complete heart block associated with the Stokes-Adams syndrome. Ephedrine had effectively controlled the syncopal episodes and except for moderate exertional dyspnea the patient had been asymptomatic.
The past medical history revealed a "neck operation" 7 years previously with no subsequent evidence o f local recurrence although his longstanding hoarseness had persisted.
Physical examination disclosed an elderly man who spoke with a "brassy" voice and was in no acute distress. His temperature was 97" From the De artment of