Cardiac Rhabdomyosarcoma with Metastatic T1 Vertebral Compression Fracture

A case of pathological compression fracture of the T1 vertebra is presented. An inadequate transpedicular vertebral biopsy showed a metastatic malignancy of unknown origin. Positive findings located at right atrium and cervicothoracic junction of spine were demonstrated on the F-18 fl uorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET). A left atrial lesion was excised partially and the immunohistochemical appearance of the cardiac mass was the same as that found at the T1 vertebra. The diagnosis was a rare pleomorphic cardiac rhabdomyosarcoma that presented with a pathological fracture of the cervicothoracic vertebrae. The patient died about eight months later due to recurrent cardiac rhabdomyosarcoma with severe congestive heart failure.