Surgery At Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Removes Rare, Life-Threatening Rhabdomyoma Tumor

Sir Ganga Ram Hospital successfully removed an exceptionally rare Rhabdomyoma tumour. 

The hospital in a press statement on Friday informed that the patient, a 60-year-old male, was referred to the Head & Neck Surgery Outpatient Department with troubling symptoms including difficulty in breathing, swallowing solid foods, and a change in voice. Initially, the patient experienced breathing issues while lying down, which progressively worsened to affect his upright posture as well.

Upon evaluation by the Head & Neck surgery team, which included Dr Sangeet Agarwal, Dr Jyoti Agarwal, Dr Arushi Gupta, and Dr Arpan Saha, the patient was advised to undergo an MRI and core needle biopsy. The MRI revealed a large tumour, approximately 9-10 cm in size, exerting pressure on the posterior aspect of the nose, windpipe, and foodpipe, leading to the observed symptoms. The biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of Rhabdomyoma, a highly unusual tumour for this region of the neck, known as the parapharyngeal space. The literature review shows no prior reported cases of Rhabdomyoma of this size in this area within India, with most cases typically occurring in the heart.

The complexity of the case was underscored by the tumor’s proximity to major blood vessels supplying the brain, which posed significant risks of paralysis or death, as well as potential complications such as excessive bleeding, facial nerve damage, and injury to the foodpipe. Given these challenges, meticulous surgical planning was essential.

The surgery, executed with precision by the surgical team and supported by the anaesthesia team, including Dr Jayashree Sood and Dr Rashmi Jain, successfully removed the tumour without complications. This operation is reported as the first successful resection of such a Rhabdomyoma tumour in this location, according to available medical records.

Two months post-surgery, the patient is in stable condition and receiving appropriate follow-up care.