Nodular Fasciitis : Intro & Clinical
Image Description
Nodular fasciitis (NF) is a benign, self-limiting, pseudosarcomatous myofibroblastic proliferation that is frequently misdiagnosed as a sarcoma.
Clinical Features: NF is a rapidly growing lesion. Most patients present with a solitary soft tissue mass of less than 1 months' duration. Nerve compression may give rise to paresthesia, numbness, shooting pain, or tenderness. The most commonly affected age group is 20 to 40 years. Cases involving very young or very old patients are less frequent. There is no sex predilection.
Sites: It can occur anywhere in the body. The most common sites, in order of frequency, are upper extremities (volar aspect of forearm, i.e. same side as palm), chest wall, back, and head & neck region (especially in infants and children). Less frequent locations include lower extremities and hands and feet. Isolated cases have been reported in a variety of other organs/sites, including breast, parotid gland, external ear, oral cavity, and lymph node capsule.
This image shows nodular fasciitis on the volar aspect of forearm in a young patient.
Image courtesy of: @PatholWalker
Clinical Features: NF is a rapidly growing lesion. Most patients present with a solitary soft tissue mass of less than 1 months' duration. Nerve compression may give rise to paresthesia, numbness, shooting pain, or tenderness. The most commonly affected age group is 20 to 40 years. Cases involving very young or very old patients are less frequent. There is no sex predilection.
Sites: It can occur anywhere in the body. The most common sites, in order of frequency, are upper extremities (volar aspect of forearm, i.e. same side as palm), chest wall, back, and head & neck region (especially in infants and children). Less frequent locations include lower extremities and hands and feet. Isolated cases have been reported in a variety of other organs/sites, including breast, parotid gland, external ear, oral cavity, and lymph node capsule.
This image shows nodular fasciitis on the volar aspect of forearm in a young patient.
Image courtesy of: @PatholWalker