Background: The cytologic diagnosis of extracardiac rhabdomyoma is frequently hampered by its rarity and resemblance to various tumors. In this regard, the infrequent occurrence has hindered its prompt and early recognition. It is also confused with other tumors because of similarities in clinical and cytologic presentations.
Case: A submandibular rhabdomyoma occurred in an otherwise-healthy, 62-year-old man. The neoplasm was firstly diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC. Complete local excision without radical surgery was performed. Histologic findings confirmed the cytologic diagnosis of adult rhabdomyoma. Treatment-related complications were minimal, and there was no evidence of recurrent disease 6 years later.
Conclusion: Helpful FNAC features and immunocytochemical results permitted an early diagnosis and spared the patient unnecessary radical surgery.