Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor with hereditary multiple exostoses in an 18-year-old male: A case report

Abstract

Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT) is an aggressive embryonic brain tumor that is predominantly found in young children. The present study reports the unusual case of an adult male AT/RT patient with a history of another type of tumor, hereditary multiple exostoses (EXT or HME), who survived for 18 years. The patient's first and chief complaint was a 1‑month history of progressive projectile vomiting. The patient was admitted twice for treatment, and on the second admission, a craniotomy was performed to remove a intracranial mass. However, no radiotherapy or chemotherapy treatment was administered. Pathology revealed monotonous medium‑ ‑ to large‑sized neoplastic cells. The patient succumbed to a pulmonary infection and respiratory failure 14 days after the initial treatment. The prognosis for AT/RT is extremely poor; furthermore, the patient presented with another tumor. There may have been an association between the two tumors that worsened the clinical phenotype and prognosis of this patient. Additionally, symptomatic treatment for this condition is insufficient; early surgery and radiotherapy may be more useful for preventing the aggressive progression of these tumors.