Extracardiac rhabdomyoma is a rare mesenchymal tumor that shows skeletal muscle differentiation. It is classified into the adult, fetal and genital types. Adult-type rhabdomyoma has a predilection for the head and neck region. Only a few cases of the tumor in the submandibular region have been reported in the literature.
We report the case of a 77-year-old man who presented to us with a tumor in the left submandibular region. Cervical ultrasound and CT revealed a well-defined tumor posterior to the left submandibular gland. Fine needle aspiration cytology was performed, however, the diagnosis could not be confirmed because the specimen was inadequate. Surgical resection was performed, and histopathologic evaluation of the resected specimen revealed the diagnosis of adult-type rhabdomyoma. At present, 9 months since the surgery the patient remains well, with no evidence of disease recurrence. This case indicates that surgical treatment is effective for adult-type rhabdomyoma. However, careful follow-up is necessary, as there are reports of recurrence due to incomplete removal of the tumor.
