Spindle cell/sclerosing rhabdomyosarcoma with intracranial invasion without destroying the bone of the skull base: a case report and literature review

Spindle cell/sclerosing rhabdomyosarcoma (ssRMS) is a new subtype of rhabdomyosarcoma included in the World Health Organization soft tissue and bone tumor classification in 2013. Despite the increasing number of reported cases of ssRMS, the imaging characteristics of ssRMS are not established. Herein, we present the case of an elderly Japanese woman with ssRMS of the masticator space with intracranial invasion without destruction of the adjacent bone. Attention should be paid to the presence of intracranial infiltration that may indicate a worse prognosis. Tumor growth without bone destruction could be a key finding to differentiate ssRMSs from conventional subtypes of rhabdomyosarcoma.