eMedicine Specialties > Pediatrics: Surgery > General Surgery

Rhabdomyomas: Follow-up

Author: Karl J D'Silva, MD, Fellow in Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Breslin Cancer Center, Michigan State University
Coauthor(s): Vijay R Karia, MD, Fellow, Department of Rheumatology, Louisiana State University; Richard V Worrell, MD, Vice Chairman Emeritus, Professor Emeritus, Department of Orthopedics, University of New Mexico School of Medicine; Madan L Arora, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine; Consulting Staff, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Great Lakes Cancer Institute, McLaren Regional Medical Center
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Dec 29, 2008

Follow-up

Further Inpatient Care

  • Patients with adult rhabdomyomas may experience breathing difficulties. These patients may need nasal oxygen. If airway obstruction is diagnosed, surgical intervention should be considered.
  • Patients with genital rhabdomyomas may require catheterization if they have symptoms of urinary tract obstruction.
  • Patients with advanced cardiac rhabdomyomas should be placed in a cardiac care unit.

Further Outpatient Care

  • Patients who have had surgical resection of their rhabdomyomas should have routine postoperative care (eg, dressing changes and suture removal when indicated).

Inpatient & Outpatient Medications

  • Acetaminophen and codeine or oxycodone and acetaminophen may be used to control postoperative pain. Oxycodone with acetaminophen (Percocet) can produce drug dependence of the morphine type. Accordingly, the potential for drug abuse exists.

Deterrence/Prevention

  • No measures can be used to prevent the occurrence of rhabdomyoma.

Complications

  • Any surgical procedure can be complicated by infection.
  • Patients with cardiac rhabdomyoma may develop congestive heart failure or arrhythmia.

Prognosis

  • The prognosis for patients who have undergone surgery for the removal of rhabdomyomas varies from fair to good depending on the part of the body involved. Patients with cardiac rhabdomyomas have the highest risk.

Patient Education

  • Patients with rhabdomyomas should be aware of the nature of their particular tumors and the type of surgical procedures available for treatment.

Miscellaneous

Medicolegal Pitfalls

  • Any surgical procedure has a risk of a malpractice claim. The patient must sign a detailed informed consent form before any procedure is performed.

Special Concerns

  • Patients with genital rhabdomyomas who become pregnant need to be monitored closely. They may require a cesarean delivery.
  • When fetal cardiac rhabdomyoma is diagnosed, careful evaluation of other fetal structures, including brain and renal parenchyma, should be performed to search for signs of tuberous sclerosis.
 


More on Rhabdomyomas

Overview: Rhabdomyomas
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Rhabdomyomas
Treatment & Medication: Rhabdomyomas
Follow-up: Rhabdomyomas
Multimedia: Rhabdomyomas
References
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References

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  2. Bjorndal Sorensen K, Godballe C, Ostergaard B, Krogdahl A. Adult extracardiac rhabdomyoma: light and immunohistochemical studies of two cases in the parapharyngeal space. Head Neck. Mar 2006;28(3):275-9. [Medline].

  3. Iversen UM. Two cases of benign vaginal rhabdomyoma. Case reports. APMIS. Jul-Aug 1996;104(7-8):575-8. [Medline].

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Further Reading

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Keywords

rhabdomyoma, benign tumor of striated muscle, neoplastic, hamartoma, cardiac rhabdomyoma, rhabdomyomatous mesenchymal hamartomas of the skin, muscle tumor

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Karl J D'Silva, MD, Fellow in Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Breslin Cancer Center, Michigan State University
Karl J D'Silva, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Massachusetts Medical Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Vijay R Karia, MD, Fellow, Department of Rheumatology, Louisiana State University
Vijay R Karia, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Richard V Worrell, MD, Vice Chairman Emeritus, Professor Emeritus, Department of Orthopedics, University of New Mexico School of Medicine
Richard V Worrell, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American College of Surgeons, American Orthopaedic Association, American Society for Clinical Pathology, American Trauma Society, and Royal Society of Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Madan L Arora, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine; Consulting Staff, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Great Lakes Cancer Institute, McLaren Regional Medical Center
Madan L Arora, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Michigan State Medical Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Clarence Sarkodee-Adoo, MD, Consulting Staff, Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation, City of Hope Samaritan BMT Program
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: eMedicine Salary Employment

Managing Editor

Benjamin Movsas, MD, Vice-Chairman, Department of Radiation Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center
Benjamin Movsas, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Radiology, American Radium Society, and American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

J Stuart Wolf Jr, MD, FACS, David A Bloom Professor of Urology, Director of Division of Minimally Invasive Urology, Department of Urology, University of Michigan
J Stuart Wolf Jr, MD, FACS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Surgeons, American Urological Association, Catholic Medical Association, Endourological Society, Society for Urology and Engineering, Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons, Society of University Urologists, and Society of Urologic Oncology
Disclosure: Terumo Corporation Consulting fee Consulting; Omeros Corporation Consulting fee Consulting

Chief Editor

Mary C Mancini, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Surgery, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center
Mary C Mancini, MD, PhD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for Thoracic Surgery, American College of Surgeons, American Surgical Association, Phi Beta Kappa, Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and Southern Surgical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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