An adult spindle cell rhabdomyosarcoma in the head and neck region with long-term survival: a case report

Introduction Spindle cell rhabdomyosarcoma of the head and neck is a very rare tumor in adults. We report on one case with long-term survival. Case presentation A 41-year-old nonsmoking Caucasian man presented in June 2007 with a painless swelling under his tongue. A diagnosis of a soft tissue sarcoma, and a myofibrosarcoma in particular, was made via biopsy. After multimodal treatment, including local and systemic therapy, our patient remained disease-free until September 2010. The local recurrence was treated unsuccessfully with various chemotherapy regimens. In September 2011, our patient underwent surgical resection again, and a spindle cell rhabdomyosarcoma was diagnosed. To analyze the mismatch between the original diagnosis of a myofibrosarcoma and the second diagnosis, the two specimens were reassessed, and a final diagnosis of a spindle cell rhabdomyosarcoma was made. In 2012 and 2013, our patient suffered further recurrences that were surgically treated, and he is still alive with disease six years and 10 months after the initial diagnosis in June 2007. Conclusions In adults, the spindle cell rhabdomyosarcoma tumor is very rare in the head and neck region. In contrast to childhood tumors, spindle cell rhabdomyosarcoma in adulthood is often associated with a poor prognosis. In the present case, the radical surgical treatment might have helped to prolong the patient’s overall survival, which has lasted more than six years. To our knowledge, this is the longest overall survival reported so far for this tumor entity in the head and neck region

Differential Proteome of the Striatum from Hemiparkinsonian Rats Displays Vivid Structural Remodeling Processes

Parkinson’s disease is a multifactorial, neurodegenerative disease where etiopathogenetic mechanisms are not fully understood. Animal models like the neurotoxic 6-OHDA-hemiparkinsonian rat model are used for standardized experiments. Here, we analyzed proteome changes of the striatum three months after 6-OHDA lesions of the nigral dopaminergic cell population. Striata were removed and proteins were separated by 2DE followed by differential spot analysis. Proteins in spots were identified by MALDI-TOF-MS. Most up-regulations of proteins were concerning energy metabolism in mitochondria. Proteins of calcium homeostasis like annexin A3, annexin A7, calbindin, calmodulin, calreticulin, and reticulocalbin 1 also were differentially regulated. Moreover, proteins involved in antioxidative mechanisms like superoxide dismutase, protein disulfide isomerase 1 and 3, N(G),N(G)-dimethylarginindimethyl-aminotransferase 2, and thioredoxin-dependent peroxide reductase were up-regulated. Interestingly, most cytoskeletal proteins belonging to the axon cytoskeleton and synapse were up-regulated pointing to long-distance axon remodeling. In addition, transcription factors, proteins of nucleic acid metabolism, chaperones, and degrading proteins (UCHL1) were up-regulated as well. In conclusion, the neurotoxin-induced proteome alterations indicate vivid long-distance remodeling processes of dendrites, axons, and synapses that are still ongoing even three months after perturbation, indicating a high plasticity and regeneration potential in the adult rat brain