Pulmonary inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor coexisting with lymphangitis carcinomatosis: Mimicking metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma with nodular fasciitis-like stroma

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMTs) are uncommon; intermediate grade soft tissue tumors occurring in young individuals with an uncertain behaviour. The incidence of pulmonary lymphangitis carcinomatosis (PLC) is around 6-8% of all pulmonary metastases. However, PLC due to papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is very uncommon. We present a case of a 26-year-old male, who presented with a solitary left lung nodule on radiological scans. There was also a past history of thyroid surgery done two years back for PTC. Histology revealed a soft tissue tumor reminiscent of IMT. The periphery of the IMT nodule showed metastatic PTC in the form of extensive PLC. In view of this unusual histology, a diagnosis of PTC with nodular fasciitis-like stroma (PTC-NFS) was initially considered. However, molecular studies for anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangement confirmed the diagnosis of IMT. This case highlights the unusual occurrence of tumor-to-tumor metastasis causing diagnostic challenges and also the importance of molecular testing.

Nodular fasciitis: a benign mimicker of soft tissue malignancies / Fascitis nodular: un imitador benigno de las neoplasias malignas de tejidos blandos

La fascitis nodular es una masa subcutánea, benigna, autolimitada, que puede simular un sarcoma de tejidos blandos en su presentación clínica e histopatológica. Debido a que la mayoría de las descripciones de esta condición provienen de pacientes caucásicos, es necesario enfatizar su existencia en poblaciones poco representadas en la literatura. Se presenta el caso de un paciente mexicano, masculino, de 49 años, quien fue inicialmente mal diagnosticado y tratado como quiste epidérmico. Tras la recurrencia de la lesión, se realizó una adecuada técnica de biopsia y estudios de imagen, confirmando el diagnóstico de fascitis nodular. El presente reporte resalta la importancia de abordar con cautela las masas subcutáneas que puedan simular tanto tumores benignos como malignos para mejorar el pronóstico de los pacientes.

Nodular fasciitis is a benign, self-limited, subcutaneous tumor that may resemble a soft tissue sarcoma both clinically and histopathologically. Since most descriptions derive from Caucasian patients, further awareness is necessary in underrepresented populations. Here, we present a case of nodular fasciitis in a 49-year-old Mexican male who had been misdiagnosed and mistreated as an epidermal cyst. After recurrence, an adequate biopsy and imaging studies confirmed the diagnosis of nodular fasciitis. This case illustrates the importance of properly studying subcutaneous masses that can mimic a wide array of benign and malignant tumors to improve overall patient prognosis.

Case Report of Nodular Fasciitis in the Conjunctiva

PURPOSE: We report a case of nodular fasciitis of the conjunctiva that has not been previously reported in the Republic of Korea.CASE SUMMARY: A 18-year-old female patient presented with a left conjunctival mass, which had been enlarging for 1 month. The tumor was located at the corner of the conjunctiva of the left eye. The size of the tumor was 1 mm in width and 1.5 mm in height, and tenderness and redness were not observed. There was no history of trauma, but bilateral upper lid blepharoplasty was performed 2 months prior to her visit. Excision of a conjunctival mass was performed and there was no evidence of involvement of the sclera or peripheral conjunctiva around the mass. We performed immunohistochemistry and PCR for human herpes virus 8 (HHV8). Immunohistochemistry was positive for S-100 and negative for smooth muscle actin and HHV8. The mass was myofibroblastic in nature and the histopathological features and clinical findings of this case were diagnosed as nodular fasciitis with the features as described above. There was no recurrence for 4 months after removal of the mass.CONCLUSIONS: Because the treatments and prognoses of malignant tumors or other inflammatory diseases such as nodular scleritis and nodular fasciitis are quite different, differentiation from these diseases is considered an important factor in the diagnosis of nodular fasciitis.

Nodular Fasciitis on the Scalp: A Case Report and Literature Review / 대한피부과학회지

No abstract available.

Nodular fasciitis of the breast: a clinicopathologic study of 4 cases with review of literature / 临床与实验病理学杂志

Purpose To summarize the clinicopathologic features,diagnosis and differential diagnosis of nodular fasciitis (NF) of the breast.Methods Clinicopathologic findings of four mammary NF cases were retrospectively reviewed.Immunohistochemical of EnVision staining was performed in all cases.Results The median age of all patients was 50.5 years.All patients were female,without history of trauma.The average size was 1.2 cm.Among the four cases reviewed,three lesions occurred in the mammary parenchyma and one next to the skin.Histologically,the lesion was composed of plump spindle cells arranged in short fascicles with erythrocytes extravasation and patchy lymphoid infiltration,and the border of three cases was infiltrative.Immunohistochemically,the spindle cells were positive for vimentin,CD10 and SMA,but negative for CK (AE1/AE3),CK5/6,CK14,CAM5.2,ER and PR.All patients underwent surgical resection,with no evidence of recurrence.Conclusion NF of the breast is rare.It should be differentiated from some benign and malignant tumours,such as fibromatosis,phyllodes tumor and low-grade fibromatosis-like metaplastic carcinoma.The immunostaining of vimentin and SMA may helpful for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of NF of breast.

Nodular Fasciitis of External Auditory Canal

Nodular fasciitis is a pseudosarcomatous reactive process composed of fibroblasts and myofibroblasts, and it is most common in the upper extremities. Nodular fasciitis of the external auditory canal is rare. To the best of our knowledge, less than 20 cases have been reported to date. We present a case of nodular fasciitis arising in the cartilaginous part of the external auditory canal. A 19-year-old man complained of an auricular mass with pruritus. Computed tomography showed a 1.7 cm sized soft tissue mass in the right external auditory canal, and total excision was performed. Histologic examination revealed spindle or stellate cells proliferation in a fascicular and storiform pattern. Lymphoid cells and erythrocytes were intermixed with tumor cells. The stroma was myxoid to hyalinized with a few microcysts. The tumor cells were immunoreactive for smooth muscle actin, but not for desmin, caldesmon, CD34, S-100, anaplastic lymphoma kinase, and cytokeratin. The patient has been doing well during the 1 year follow-up period.

Three Cases of Periorbital Nodular Fasciitis

PURPOSE: Herein, we report 3 cases of nodular fasciitis presenting with periorbital mass. CASE SUMMARY: An 18-year-old male presented with a mass in his left lateral temple area 3 months in duration. On physical examination, a subcutaneous mass approximately 20 mm in size was palpable with upper eyelid swelling. Orbital magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed T1 isointensity and T2 hyper intensity and a well-circumscribed enhancing lesion. A 36-year-old male presented with a 6-month history of a bump under his right upper eyelid. External examination revealed a 15 mm-sized subcutaneous mass in the right central sub-brow area. Orbital computed tomography showed a homogenous, well-circumscribed mass with moderate enhancement. A 3-year-old boy presented with a mass in his right upper eyelid 4 months in duration. A subcutaneous mass approximately 10 mm in size was palpated at the medial superior orbital rim. Orbital MRI revealed an enhanced mass of irregular shape. Surgical excision was performed for all cases. Histopathological examination showed pathognomonic proliferation of spindle cells and immunohistochemical stains showed the spindle cells were positive for smooth muscle actin, negative for S-100 and negative for CD34, consistent with nodular fasciitis. Recurrence of the tumors after excision in the 3 cases was not observed after 4 months, 3 months and 48 months, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Nodular fasciitis is rare but can occur at the periorbital region. In particular, nodular fasciitis should be considered as a differential diagnosis of a subcutaneous mass short in duration in children or young adults.

A Case of Cranial Fasciitis in Midface / 대한이비인후과학회지

Cranial fasciitis is an uncommon subset of nodular fasciitis composed of spindle cells and myxoid stroma. This is not considered as a true neoplasm, as it occurs mostly in the scalp as a rapidly growing mass accompanied by adjacent bony structure destruction. There are few cases of cranial fasciitis reported in the literature; however, we experienced a case of a 2-year-old girl with swelling of midface. Subtotal resection was performed and the final pathological result confirmed cranial fasciitis. We report this rare case with a review of the literature.

Treatment of Nodular Fasciitis Occurring on the Face

BACKGROUND: Surgical excision is generally recommended for the treatment of nodular fasciitis (NF) to rule out sarcoma. However, in cases of NF occurring on the face, the reported recurrence rate is higher and the surgical approach may result in considerable aesthetic concern. OBJECTIVE: To describe our experience with NF occurring on the face and evaluate the outcomes of surgical and nonsurgical methods of treatment. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of 16 patients with NF on the face. The patients were treated with surgical excision or nonsurgical methods such as triamcinolone intralesional injection (TA ILI) and pinhole method with a carbon dioxide (CO2) laser. RESULTS: Among the 16 patients, surgical treatment was performed in 9 and recurrence occurred in 7 of these 9 patients (77.8%). The recurred lesions showed regression after repeated TA ILI. On the other hand, five patients underwent nonsurgical treatment after the histologic exclusion of malignancy. Their lesions showed regression after repeated pinhole treatment and TA ILI. In one case, NF spontaneously regressed. On a visual analogue scale, the nonsurgical approach showed superior results. However, the values were not statistically significant (6.90+/-1.56 vs. 5.61+/-1.36; p=0.163). The satisfaction level was lower in patients who experienced recurrence after surgical excision. CONCLUSION: Surgical treatment for NF on the face showed a noticeable recurrence rate and resulted in scarring. Therefore, considering the possibility of spontaneous regression, the nonsurgical method can be considered as an alternative treatment option for NF on the face.

Nodular Fasciitis as a Pseudosarcomatous Lesion in the Ligamentum Nuchae: A Case Report

STUDY DESIGN: A case report. OBJECTIVES: Nodular fasciitis is a non-neoplastic soft-tissue lesion located in the deep subcutaneous region; it may be misdiagnosed as a malignant tumor due to its rapid growth and microscopic characteristics. We introduce an unusual case of nodular fasciitis which presented as a posterior neck mass. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Nodular fasciitis is an unusual benign lesion.Becaue it sometimes shows aggressive microscopic characteristics, (being hypercellular and polymorphic), the condition has the potential to be misdiagnosed as sarcoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 20-year-old woman presented with a 1-month history of a progressively enlarging mass on her posterior neck. Computed tomography (CT) scans of the neck showed a markedly enhanced, well-defined, ovoid soft tissue mass at the posterior of the spinous process of C2. The patient underwent marginal excision. There was a 2 cm, well-capsulated, pinkish-gray mass. RESULTS: She recovered without any complications. Histopathologic examination showed a spindle cell proliferation, increased cellularity, and nuclear atypia with mitosis. The immunohistochemistry stain showed negative findings. The mass was diagnosed as nodular fasciitis. CONCLUSIONS: A diagnosis of nodular fasciitis, not just malignant tumor, should be considered for a rapidly growing posterior neck mass showing aggressive microscopic appearance, Nodular fasciitis is a self-limiting lesion readily treated by marginal excision. However, follow-ups should be increased to watch for recurrence.

Presentación de un paciente con fascitis nodular pseudosarcomatosa del cuero cabelludo / Presentation of a Patient with Pseudosarcomatous Nodular Fasciitis of the Scalp

La fascitis nodular es una enfermedad infrecuente caracterizada por una tumoración de crecimiento rápido, curso benigno y características pseudosarcomatosas, descrita por Konwaler como fibromatosis pseudosarcomatosa subcutánea, frecuente en las partes blandas en extremidades superiores y tronco; en el cráneo es rara. El pronóstico es bueno y si la exéresis es completa se logra la curación total. Se presentó un paciente de 35 años, con lesiones multinodulares de seis años de evolución, única al inicio, con aumento de tamaño, número de lesiones y cambios de coloración luego, que ocuparon ambas regiones frontales y parietales, firmes, rosáceas, poco movibles. La tomografía axial computarizada de cráneo reveló lesiones multinodulares frontales en partes blandas con erosión de tabla externa. Se realizó tratamiento quirúrgico con exéresis total de la lesión e injerto en un segundo tiempo. La biopsia informó fascitis nodular pseudosarcomatosa del cuero cabelludo. Luego de dos años la lesión no ha recidivado.

The nodular fasciitis is an uncommon fast growth disease, benign and pseudosarcomatous, described by Konwaler as subcutaneous pseudosarcomatous fibromatosis, frequent in the upper extremities and the trunk, and rare in the scalp. The outcome is good if the resection is completely performed, and the cure is total. A 35- year- old patient with multinodular lesions six years ago of progress in the time was presented, which was in the frontal and parietal zone of the skull. The CT scan showed a little erosion of the bone. A total resection of the lesion was done. The biopsy showed pseudosarcomatous nodular fasciitis totally. No relapse in two years.

Periorbital nodular fasciitis arising during pregnancy.

Nodular fasciitis (NF) is a benign proliferation of fibroblasts and myofibroblasts that rarely occurs in the periorbital region. We report what we believe to be the first case of periorbital NF associated with pregnancy. A case of intravascular fasciitis, a NF variant, has been reported during pregnancy, but it was not located in the periorbital region. A weak presence of estrogen receptors has been reported in NF. This may make it more susceptible to the hormone-related changes during pregnancy and contribute to the development of the lesion by stimulating fibroblasts and smooth muscle cell types. Although rare, NF should be considered in the differential diagnosis of periorbital soft-tissue masses arising during pregnancy.

Intra-articular Nodular Fasciitis: An Unexpected Diagnosis for a Joint Lesion: A Case Report

Pathological lesions in and around a joint can arise from underlying dermis, subcutis, deep muscle, bone or synovium. Clinical presentation can include joint pain, joint swelling, palpable masses and mechanical restriction. Whilst giant cell tumour of tendon sheath, pigmented villonodular synovitis, synovial chondromatosis, lipoma arborescens, juxta articular myxomas and inflammatory arthritis are the better-known conditions of the joint. Intra-articular nodular fasciitis, on the other hand, is less well recognized both clinically and radiologically. It is rarely seen in routine practice and is only described in case reports in the literature. Due to the non-specific clinical and radiological findings as well as the unfamiliarity with the entity, the diagnosis of intra-articular nodular fasciitis is usually clinched only after histological examination. We present a case of intra-articular nodular fasciitis arising in the knee joint which was not suspected clinically or radiologically

Expression of HuR and Cyclooxygenase-2 in Nodular Fasciitis and Low-Grade Sarcoma: An Immunohistochemical Study

BACKGROUND: Nodular fasciitis is the most common reactive mesenchymal lesion to be misidentified as a type of sarcoma. HuR is an mRNA-binding protein that can stabilize cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA leading to COX-2 overexpression. The aim of this study is a comparison of the expressions of COX-2 and HuR and the relationships between their expressions and the clinicopathological parameters in nodular fasciitis and low-grade sarcoma. METHODS: We measured the expression of HuR and COX-2 in 21 cases of nodular fasciitis and 37 cases of low-grade sarcoma using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The frequency of cytoplasmic immunoreactivity for HuR was 5 of 21 cases of nodular fasciitis (23.8%) and 23 of 37 cases of low-grade sarcoma (62.1%) (p=.013). COX-2 expression was moderate or strong in nodular fasciitis (12/21, 57.1%) and in low-grade sarcoma (29/37, 78.4%) (p=.034). In addition, a significant difference existed between these two entities in terms of the relationship between moderate or strong COX-2 expression and HuR cytoplasmic immunoreactivity (p=.009). Moderate or strong COX-2 immunoreactivity correlated with nuclear (p=.016) or cytoplasmic HuR (p=.024) expression in low-grade sarcoma but not in nodular fasciitis. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that HuR and COX-2 expression may be useful to differentiate nodular fasciitis from low-grade sarcoma.

Nodular Fasciitis of the Periorbital Area

Nodular fasciitis is a reactive, non-neoplastic lesion that is most commonly found in the subcutaneous or superficial fascia of the extremities and trunk. Head and neck lesions are relatively uncommon and reports vary from 7% to 15% depending on the authors. Nodular fasciitis grows quickly, and shows a pleomorphic spindle cell pattern with increased mitotic activity. Such factors lead to cases where the lesion is mistaken for a malignancy such as fibrosarcoma and the case may end up with unnecessarily aggressive treatments. The intent of this paper is to report a relatively rare case of nodular fasciitis occurring in the periorbital area and also to highlight the importance of accurate diagnosis and non-aggressive management of this benign lesion.

Nodular Fasciitis of the Parotid Gland, Masquerading as Pleomorphic Adenoma

It is difficult to distinguish nodular fasciitis (NF) from other neoplasm of the parotid gland, especially pleomorphic adenoma (PA) by fine needle aspiration cytology. A 39-year-old female noticed a mass in the parotid region. The aspirate material showed cohesive parts composed of the cells that had oval or spindle-shaped nuclei and relatively abundant cytoplasm and some cells with plasmacytoid features. The background substance was fibromyxoid. PA was diagnosed based on the cytologic findings. Subsequently, parotidectomy was performed and NF was diagnosed based on histologic and immunohistochemical findings. NF in the parotid region is rare and may be misdiagnosed as other benign or malignant tumors of the parotid gland. The clinical history of rapid growth and the presence of mitoses and inflammatory cells help to distinguish NF from PA. In addition, immunohistochemical stains for smooth muscle actin and CD68 are useful to confirm the diagnosis of NF.

Cytodiagnosis of Post-Traumatic Nodular Fasciitis

Reactive fibroblastic proliferations mimic sarcoma clinically and histologically. They need to be recognised and accurately diagnosed to differentiate from sarcomas and predict the prognosis. Nodular fasciitis (NF) is a benign myofibroblastic proliferation in the soft tissue. The most common locations are the upper extremities, followed by trunk, particularly the chest wall and back. We studied the aspirate obtained from a pre-auricular post-traumatic swelling in a boy, and a diagnosis of reactive fibroblastic proliferation was made after ruling out other common tumours in that region. Subsequent histology confirmed NF and helped in the management of the case.

Nodular fasciitis: A diagnostic challenge.

Nodular fasciitis is a rare benign soft tissue tumor. The similarity in the cytological appearance of nodular fasciitis to that of pleomorphic adenoma makes it diffi cult to diagnose preoperatively that adds to its peculiarity. We report here a case of a middle-aged female with swelling in the neck that was diagnosed as pleomorphic adenoma on cytology. Surgical excision of the swelling was done and histopathological examination revealed it to be nodular fasciitis. This case is presented to highlight the challenge of correctly diagnosing nodular fasciitis.

Nodular Fasciitis with Cortical Erosion of the Hand

Nodular fasciitis is a benign, reactive myofibroblastic tumor that is often mistaken for a sarcoma because of its histological appearance and rapid growth. Involvement of a finger is extremely rare. We report a case of nodular fasciitis of the thumb, accompanied by bone erosion. Magnetic resonance findings suggested the possibility of a malignancy, which could have led to misdiagnosis as a malignant soft tissue sarcoma. Instead, the lesion was treated by excisional biopsy, which confirmed nodular fasciitis. There has been no evidence of local recurrence at recent follow-up, 1 year after surgery. This case illustrates that, to avoid unnecessarily aggressive surgery, nodular fasciitis must be included in the differential diagnosis for any finger lesion that resembles a sarcoma, even if bone erosion is present.

Nodular Fasciitis with Cortical Erosion of the Hand

Nodular fasciitis is a benign, reactive myofibroblastic tumor that is often mistaken for a sarcoma because of its histological appearance and rapid growth. Involvement of a finger is extremely rare. We report a case of nodular fasciitis of the thumb, accompanied by bone erosion. Magnetic resonance findings suggested the possibility of a malignancy, which could have led to misdiagnosis as a malignant soft tissue sarcoma. Instead, the lesion was treated by excisional biopsy, which confirmed nodular fasciitis. There has been no evidence of local recurrence at recent follow-up, 1 year after surgery. This case illustrates that, to avoid unnecessarily aggressive surgery, nodular fasciitis must be included in the differential diagnosis for any finger lesion that resembles a sarcoma, even if bone erosion is present.