Aggressive fibromatosis of the neck in a patient with Gardner's syndrome

A Rare Case of Extra-abdominal Desmoid-type Fibromatosis Arising from the Popliteal Fossa

Desmoids are rare soft-tissue tumors of the abdominal wall that may sporadically occur extra-abdominally. It manifests as clonal fibroblastic proliferation with an infiltrative tendency and capacity to recur without metastasizing. An adolescent male presented with a gradually increasing globular, non-tender, firm, non-pulsatile swelling (8 × 5 × 3 cm³) in the left popliteal fossa that had been present for five months. Following thorough investigation with imaging and Tru-cut biopsy, finally, an excisional biopsy was done. Histopathological examination confirmed a desmoid tumor, and the patient received adjuvant radiotherapy. At the one-year postoperative follow-up, there was no recurrence; the patient had been explained the prognosis. This case highlights a rare site of an extra-abdominal desmoid but with classical clinical presentation, imaging, intraoperative, and histopathological findings. Awareness and knowledge of this entity are of paramount importance for clinical practitioners.

Desmoid-Type Fibromatosis of the Thorax: CT, MRI, and FDG PET Characteristics in a Large Series From a Tertiary Referral Center

The purpose of this study was to describe the radiologic findings of computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxy glucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) in desmoid-type fibromatosis of the thorax. We retrospectively evaluated 47 consecutive patients with pathologically proven desmoid-type fibromatosis from January 2005 to March 2015. Patients underwent CT (n = 36) and/or MR (n = 32), and 13 patients also underwent FDG PET. Based on CT and MR, the sizes, locations, margins, contours, presence of surrounding fat, extra-compartment extension, bone involvement, and neurovascular involvement of the tumors were recorded. The attenuation, signal intensity, enhancement pattern, and presence of internal low signal band or signal void of the tumors were evaluated. Initial image findings were then compared between 2 groups of tumors: group 1 with recurrence or progression, and group 2 with no recurrence or stable without treatment. Median age at diagnosis of the tumors was 45 years, range 4 to 96, female-to-male ratio 1.8. Median tumor long diameter was 65 mm (range, 22-126 mm). The most common locations were chest wall (42.6%), followed by supraclavicular area, shoulder or axillary area, and mediastinum. The tumors had well-defined margins (83.0%), lobulated in contours (66.0%) surrounding fat (63.8%), extra-compartment extensions (42.6%), bone involvements (42.6%), and neurovascular involvements (27.7%). On CT, tumors had low attenuation (60.0%) with mild enhancement (median 24 HU, range 0-52). On MR, they showed iso-signal intensity (SI) (96.9%) on T1-weighted images (WI), and high SI (90.6%) on T2WI images, with strong (87.5%) and heterogeneous (96.9%) enhancement. Internal low signal bands (84.4%) and signal voids (68.8%) were noted. The median value of maxSUV was 3.1 (range, 2.0-7.3). In group 1 (n = 19, 40.4%), 13 patients suffered recurrence and 6 experienced progression. Group 2 (n = 28, 59.6%) consisted of 21 patients with no recurrence and 7 stable patients receiving no treatment. Partially ill-defined margins (OR, 0.167; 95% CI 0.029-0.943; P = 0.043) was the independent predictor for recurrence or progression of tumor. Knowledge of the radiological findings in desmoid-type fibromatosis on CT, MR, and FDG PET may help to improve diagnosis. Tumors with partially ill-defined margins have a tendency to recur or progress.

Desmoid tumors of the head and neck: a therapeutic challenge

Desmoid tumor, or aggressive fibromatosis, is a rare, histologically benign, fibroblastic lesion that infrequently presents in the head and neck. Desmoid tumors often grow locally, invasively, and may, in rare instances, be fatal secondary to invasion into critical structures, such as airway or major vessels. The most common treatment is surgery, but desmoid tumors are characteristically associated with a high local recurrence rate after resection. Although the margin status seems to be of importance, operations that avoid function loss and esthetic disfigurement should be the primary goal. The efficacy of postoperative radiotherapy is controversial. Its potential benefit should be carefully balanced against possible radiation-induced adverse effects. Alternative treatment modalities, such as primary radiotherapy and medical treatment or a wait-and-see policy, may be preferable to mutilating surgery. Considering all the aforementioned, it seems obvious that desmoid tumors of the head and neck present a therapeutic challenge and require an individualized approach.

Intracranial desmoid tumor with familial adenomatous polyposis coli

Intracranial desmoid tumors are extremely rare. The association of desmoid tumors with familial adenomatous polyposis coli was reported previously, with the tumors involving trunk and extremities. We report a 3.5-year-old girl with intracranial desmoid tumor with familial adenomatous polyposis coli. This condition in a child is rarely reported. Follow-up of the patient after cranial surgery and of the family for this premalignant inherited condition is necessary.

Desmoid-type fibromatosis involving the brachial plexus

✓Desmoid-type fibromatosis involving the brachial plexus is a rare and challenging disease. Due to involvement of crucial neurovascular structures, wide local excision of the associated fibromas is rarely feasible and recurrence is common. The authors describe their experience in four surgically treated patients with desmoid-type fibromatosis involving the brachial plexus and review the relevant neurosurgical literature.

All tumors were assessed for c-KIT oncogene mutations in hopes of establishing a biological basis for using the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatimib mesylate as an adjuvant therapy. Three patients experienced tumor recurrence requiring reoperation. Fractionated radiotherapy achieved local control in three patients, and the disease in one patient progressed beyond the treatment field. Single base pair changes at exon 10 of the c-KIT oncogene were identified in three tumors. One tumor with this mutation did not respond to treatment with imatimib mesylate. A review of the literature revealed 17 additional patients in two different case series. Analysis of these cases emphasizes the need for careful resection in patients with desmoid-type fibromatosis and supports the conclusion that without adjuvant radiotherapy a high local recurrence rate can be anticipated. For optimal local disease control, the authors recommend post-surgical radiation therapy regardless of the extent of resection achieved. The mutational status of the c-KIT oncogene remains an intriguing biological marker that in the future may predict which lesions will be responsive to imatimib mesylate; larger series will be necessary to test this hypothesis.

Desmoid-type fibromatoses involving the brachial plexus: treatment options and assessment of c-KIT mutational status

OBJECT

Desmoid-type fibromatoses are a locally invasive soft-tissue lesion that is most commonly encountered in abdominal sites. The tumor also affects head and neck areas, particularly the supraclavicular region, where it may encase and distort the brachial plexus and compromise neurovascular structures. Neurosurgeons may be called on to treat desmoid-type fibromatoses in these sites. The authors describe their experience in treating four patients with desmoid-type fibromatoses involving the brachial plexus and report the results of immunohistochemical analysis of the tumors.

METHODS

Gross-total excision with nerve sparing was the first-line therapy of choice, although the surgery was challenging. Intraoperative identification of the site of tumor origin from musculoaponeurotic tissues by the neurosurgeon was necessary in two of the four cases to achieve a correct frozen section or final pathological diagnosis. Immunostaining for c-KIT (CD117) was undertaken in all cases in light of a previous report of positive CD117 immunoreactivity in abdominal desmoid-type fibromatoses. All four tumors manifested weak focal immunostaining for c-KIT. One of the patients was given adjuvant imatinib mesylate therapy, with limited success. Subsequent polymerase chain reaction testing revealed that three of the four tumors manifested a single base pair change in exon 10 of the c-KIT gene (A to C in two cases and A to G in one case). There was local recurrence in three patients, despite gross-total excision. With the combination of surgery and radiation therapy, local disease control was achieved in three of the four patients.

CONCLUSIONS

This represents the first report of c-KIT sequencing in desmoid-type fibromatoses and suggests a possible biological basis for continuing to explore the use of adjuvant imatinib mesylate therapy.