A rare case of intraoral nodular fasciitis: diagnosis and immunohistochemical profile

Oral Nodular Fasciitis: A Case Report in an Uncommon Location and Review of the Literature

Nodular fasciitis (NF) is a benign, self-limiting condition that is often misdiagnosed due to its resemblance to other lesions. Although NF is common, its occurrence in the oral cavity is rare and particularly challenging for both clinicians and pathologists. To date, no case has been reported in the retromolar area of the oral cavity. A 49-year-old male patient presented with a painless, rapidly growing, firm nodule in the right retromolar area. Histopathological examination revealed spindle cell proliferation with characteristics of NF and immunohistochemical analysis confirmed the diagnosis. The lesion was treated by conservative surgical excision, without recurrence at a one-year follow-up. In the current case, 54 cases of oral nodular fasciitis (ONF) have been documented. The majority of ONF-affected individuals are in their 40s, with a 1:1 male-to-female ratio. The buccal mucosa was the most commonly involved site followed by the tongue and labial mucosa. Histopathologically, the most prominent features were the proliferation of uniform spindle-shaped cells within a myxomatous and/or fibrotic background. A positive smooth muscle actin (SMA) stain was a consistent finding. Complete local excision remains the preferred treatment method, and no recurrences have been reported. This report underscores the importance of considering NF in the differential diagnosis of oral spindle cell lesions and emphasizes the need for a comprehensive evaluation to guide appropriate management.

Oral nodular fasciitis – A case report with a diagnostic schema

Introduction: The spectrum of myofibroblastic lesions of the oral cavity ranges from reactive to benign to malignant lesions with overlapping histopathologic and immunohistologic characteristics posing a diagnostic dilemma. Observation: A 30-year-old male presented with a spontaneous swelling over the right lower buccal gingiva giving a clinical suspicion of a benign mesenchymal tumor. The lesion presented with a varied biphasic microscopic appearance that posed as a challenge for diagnosis. Commentaries: The incisional biopsy of the lesion showed a highly collagenous stroma with spindle-shaped cells, while the excision biopsy revealed myxoid and hyalinized stroma. A panel of markers comprising of SMA (smooth muscle actin). CD-34, β-Catenin, and Alcian blue stain was employed to arrive at a diagnosis. Conclusion: Most myofibroblastic lesions present with diverse histological appearance which warrants a thorough assessment of the cellular and stromal components for an accurate diagnosis.

Nodular Fasciitis: Sonographic-Pathologic Correlation

We evaluated nodular fasciitis (NF) in 19 patients, focusing on the correlation between its sonographic and histopathologic features. Sonograms were retrospectively reviewed, and the location, shape, margin, echogenicity, echogenic rim, peripheral hyper-echoic nodules, posterior enhancement and vascularity of the lesions were recorded. In the histopathologic analysis, three patterns-infiltrating, pushing border and well circumscribed-were identified, and culture-like tissue centers were classified according to the distribution of focal keloid-like collagen bundles: uneven or even. For the sonographic-pathologic correlation, most NF cases were inhomogeneously hypo-echoic and had an echogenic rim, with an infiltrating or pushing border pattern. In addition, all NF cases with the infiltrating pattern were observed to have peripheral hyper-echoic nodules in sonograms. Thus, echogenic rims may be associated with the peripheral adipose tissues in infiltrating pattern, and the degree of infiltration may be associated with specific sonographic features of NF.

Description of a Rare Case of Nodular Fasciitis of the Apical Aspect of the Upper Buccal Sulcus

This report describes a rare case of nodular fasciitis (NF) of the oral cavity, discussing the clinical, histological, and immunohistochemical characteristics. Histopathologic diagnosis of this type of lesion can be challenging due to its differential diagnosis, which principally includes sarcoma. The patient presented with a painless, well-defined nodule, reported as increasing in size, located at the apical aspect of the upper left buccal sulcus. Histologically, the lesion revealed spindle cell proliferation arranged in fascicles, while immunohistochemistry demonstrated positivity for smooth muscle actin. Eight months after complete surgical excision, no signs of local recurrence have been observed.

Nodular Fasciitis of the Orofacial Region: An Uncommon Differential

Nodular fasciitis is a benign proliferative spindle-cell lesion that presents as a rapidly growing mass arising from the subcutaneous fascia, leading it to be erroneously diagnosed as a sarcoma. These lesions commonly present in individuals in their third to fifth decades of life with no definite gender predilection. They are frequently located on the extremities and the trunk and infrequently in the head and neck region. Lesions in the orofacial region are uncommon. We describe an interesting case of orofacial nodular fasciitis in a 21-year-old boy that essentially summarises the clinical features and management of this pseudosarcomatous reactive proliferative lesion. Clinicians and more so maxillofacial surgeons need to be aware of the distinctions between nodular fasciitis and its malignant mimic (sarcomas) in order to limit overtreatment and the resultant treatment-related morbidities.

Nodular fasciitis of the lip mucosa: a rare but clinically important entity

Oral nodular fasciitis (NF) is a rare benign entity of significant clinical importance, which presents as a rapidly growing soft tissue mass. Awareness of this entity is essential, because histologically it resembles a malignancy at first glance, owing to its spindled histological nature and numerous typical mitoses. Thus, it is often misdiagnosed as an aggressive sarcoma, resulting in unnecessary radical surgery. In total, 45 cases of oral NF have been reported since 1966, of which only 2 were reported in the dermatological literature. Patients with NF of the lip mucosa will frequently present to a dermatologist. Therefore, it is critical that dermatologists recognize this benign neoplasm to correctly manage it and avoid potentially catastrophic unnecessary surgery, as these lesions typically spontaneously resolve. We describe the clinical, histological and immunohistochemistry findings of NF in a 51-year-old woman, and discuss its differential diagnosis.