Soft tissue sarcomas of infancy

Infantile undifferentiated sarcomas: a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge - two case reports and literature review

BACKGROUND

Soft tissue undifferentiated sarcomas (STUS) are an ultra-rare and heterogenous group of mesenchymal neoplasms often lacking known genetic abnormalities with a marked vulnerability towards intensive therapy such as invasive surgery and high dose chemotherapy. Despite aggressive treatment, they are usually associated with dismal outcomes.

CASE PRESENTATION

Here we describe two cases of STUS in 3-week-old and 3-month-old infants localized on the neck and the trunk area.

DISCUSSION

In both cases, the malignancy had a fatal outcome due to the toxicity of intensive therapy in one case and the progression of the disease in the other. The purpose of this report is to discuss the clinical challenges of managing infancy-related STUS such as limited treatment options and poor prognosis.

A Differential Clinical Diagnostic Challenge of a Recurrent, Oral Fibrosarcoma Resembling a Periapical Lesion of Endodontic Origin

A fibrosarcoma is a neoplastic growth originating from malignant, fibroblast-like mesenchymal cells. This malignant tumor shows an increased tendency for expansion and recurrence and a propensity to metastasize, especially to the lungs. Despite their rarity, fibrosarcomas have the potential to manifest in any anatomical location. An oncologist referred their patient due to reported mandibular discomfort, ache, and swelling. The biopsy revealed a fibrosarcoma resembling a periapical lesion of endodontic origin. The timely intervention and the collaboration among different but complementary medical and dental specialties ensure that the patient may enjoy a prolonged life expectancy as symptom-free as possible.

Mandibular swelling in a 5-year-old child--mandibular myofibroma

A 5-year-old girl of African descent presented with a history of progressive painless swelling on the right side of the jaw since the past 2-3 months. Orthopantomogram showed a radiolucent lesion near the angle of the mandible. Subsequent CT scan revealed a 2 cm×2 cm radiolucent lesion with intense periosteal reaction surrounding the lesion and destruction of the overlying cortex. Radiological perplexity aroused regarding the possibility of eosinophilic granuloma or some other malignant lesion. Incisional biopsy performed and microscopy showed spindle cell tumor. Immunohistochemistry confirmed it as myofibroma. Myofibroma is a rare benign tumour involving mesenchyme. Involvement of the mandible is rare. Radiological presentation with strong periosteal reaction is a rarity and has rarely been reported in the medical literature. We conclude that intraosseous myofibroma can sometimes have strong periosteal reaction and careful radiological evaluation is a prerequisite for accurate diagnosis and to avoid unnecessary aggressive therapy.

Skin hamartoma on the hand of a newborn infant

Skin hamartoma is an extremely rare disease on the hand in newborn infants. Reported herein is the case of a newborn infant who presented with a skin hamartoma on the hand. The patient was a girl born at 37 weeks of gestational age. The mass was seen on her proximal left thumb at birth. The mass had a spherical diameter of 4 cm and was pedunculated. One the day after birth, the stalk on the mass was ligated in the neonatal intensive care unit. The mass was diagnosed as skin hamartoma on histopathology. At 1 year of age, the child had good hand function, and no recurrence of the neoplasia was evident.

Infantile fibrosarcoma of the penis in a 2-year-old boy

Fibrosarcoma is rare in the pediatric age group. It generally involves the extremities and the trunk but rarely involves the genital area. We report a case of a large fungating infantile fibrosarcoma of the penis in a 2-year-old Malay boy. Partial recovery of the penile structure was achieved after chemotherapy. The difficulty in managing the social and surgical aspect of this case is discussed in our report. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of infantile fibrosarcoma involving the penis in an Asian region.

Pediatric soft tissue sarcomas

After a brief discussion of the rarity of soft tissue sarcomas in children and of the limited ability of magnetic resonance imaging to provide a tissue diagnosis, this article discusses the incidence, presentation, treatment, prognosis, and imaging characteristics of the more common and unusual pediatric soft tissue sarcomas. It begins with extensive discussion of rhabdomyosarcoma, synovial sarcoma, and congenital/infantile fibrosarcoma. It then presents a more abbreviated discussion of uncommon tumors such as alveolar soft part sarcoma, epithelioid sarcoma, extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma, granulocytic sarcoma, hemangiopericytoma, liposarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor, and undifferentiated sarcoma.

MR imaging of the neonatal musculoskeletal system

Experience in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the neonatal musculoskeletal system is rapidly increasing. The exquisite ability of MR to image the soft tissues, especially cartilage, without radiation is its key strength. Although it is not practical or sensible to undertake MR imaging in conditions in which radiography and ultrasound provide adequate information, MR is proving to be a useful adjunct and problem-solving tool in many neonatal musculoskeletal conditions.

Non-malignant fibrosing tumors in the pediatric hand: a clinicopathologic case review

Non-malignant fibrosing tumors in the pediatric hand or juvenile fibromatoses are clinically challenging because of their relatively infrequent occurrence and because of the variety of names associated with these diseases. We conducted a review of a personal case series of pediatric patients with these tumors and discuss here the more common histologic types and clinical characteristics of the disease spectrum in the context of the available published literature. All histologic samples were reviewed by a single pathologist. Infantile myofibromatosis, fibrous hamartoma of infancy, juvenile aponeurotic fibromatosis, palmar fibromatosis (Dupuytren's type), infantile digital fibromatosis (Reye's tumor), fibroma of the tendon sheath, and melorheostosis represent the encountered lesions.

Types of tumors and outcome of treatment of 12 patients with nonmalignant fibrosing tumors in the pediatric hand

Nonmalignant fibrosing tumors in the pediatric hand or juvenile fibromatoses are uncommon and so may be a challenge to the clinician. We propose a diagnostic and treatment approach to nonmalignant fibrosing tumors of the pediatric hand based on a review of 12 patients who presented with 16 distinct hand lesions. We performed a retrospective 7-year chart review of 12 pediatric patients all with nonmalignant fibrosing conditions of the hand. All patients were operated on by a single surgeon (D.N.) and all samples were reviewed by a single pathologist (E.P.). Twenty-eight surgical procedures were performed on 12 patients. Lesions were classified by location (7 palmar, 9 dorsal) as well as clinicopathologic characteristics. It is imperative to have a broad differential when entertaining the diagnosis of juvenile fibromatosis. Most important, a diagnosis of true cancer must be ruled out. Other mimickers of this process (eg, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis) must also be considered. Most evaluations begin with magnetic resonance imaging and biopsy but a careful history is, as always, a key part of the evaluation. Some lesions may be observed once a diagnosis has been made. When surgical excision is indicated, wide resection is necessary. This may then require flap reconstruction with tendon and joint repair.

Infantile myofibromatosis: case report of a solitary hand lesion with emphasis on differential diagnosis and management

Infantile myofibromatosis, both solitary and multicentric types, is discussed with emphasis on the importance of diagnosing this condition correctly. Its distinctive clinical and histological characteristics are described, as are the hazards of overhasty and overly ambitious surgical intervention. Other similarly presenting fibromatous diseases of infancy and childhood are discussed, including aplasia cutis, infantile fibrosarcoma, recurring infantile digital fibromatosis, and juvenile aponeurotic fibromatosis. A case of infantile myofibromatosis, solitary type, is reported, and the two surgical procedures carried out over a 4-year period are described. The importance of histological and immunohistochemical evaluation of lesions present during the neonatal period is stressed.