Non-malignant fibroblastic/myofibroblastic tumors in pediatric age group: Clues and pitfalls to the cytological diagnosis

Lipofibromatosis: Central Nervous System Involvement by a Benign Neoplasm

Background: Lipofibromatosis is a relatively new entity, considered in the differential diagnosis of soft tissue tumors in children, involving mainly the extremities. Most cases can be completely resected without recurrence. Atypical forms have been described and their highly infiltrative capability can lead to severe clinical impairment. Case report: We report an infant with rapidly growing posterior cervicothoracic tumor, extending from the bulbo-medullary junction to T6 vertebra, leading to loss of spontaneous breathing, quadriparesis and devastating long-term consequences. Spinal tomography scan at 35 days suggested myelomeningocele. Prenatal and early postnatal ultrasounds were reviewed and no central nervous system involvement or fusion defects were present. Magnetic resonance at 40 days showed infiltrative mass, later confirmed by pathology as lipofibromatosis. Two resections failed to completely remove the tumor. Discussion: Lipofibromatosis can involve critical structures in the central nervous system and is difficult to treat surgically in those circumstances.

Infantile Myofibroma: A Report of Two Cases with Differential Diagnoses

Infantile myofibromas (IMs) are benign soft-tissue tumors of children. They are of fibroblastic-myofibroblastic origin and show considerable morphological overlap with other spindle cell neoplasms. Here, we present two cases of solitary myofibromas, one in a neonate and one in a 2-year-old girl. A 2-day-old girl presented with severe respiratory distress and died during intubation. At autopsy, a myofibroma involving the oropharynx with extension up to the larynx was noted. Second case was a 2-year-girl with a myofibroma in the hard palate. IM must be differentiated from other benign and malignant spindle cell tumors of infancy and childhood. Oropharyngeal myofibroma should be considered in the differentials of neonatal respiratory distress.

Infantile Myofibroma: A Series of 2 Cases with Special Reference to Cytological Features

BackgroundInfantile myofibromas (IM) are benign soft tissue lesions of childhood and represent a significant portion of the benign spectrum of fibroblastic-myofibroblastic tumors. Cytological diagnosis of these tumors can be challenging because of overlapping morphology and limited case report descriptions. We describe the cytological features and the cytological differential diagnoses.Case reportWe describe cytological features of two IMs. The main features were the presence of loose clusters and dispersed bland myofibroblasts in varying stages of maturation with traversing blood vessels and myxoid stroma. The cells typically lacked features of atypia, mitoses and significant pleomorphism.ConclusionDiagnosis of IM on the basis of cytology alone can be tricky and definitive diagnosis should be made only after correlating the cytological features with histology. However, bland morphology of differentiating myofibroblasts can aid in cytological diagnosis and help to exclude other malignant spindle cells neoplasms needing preoperative chemotherapy.

Gardner-associated fibroma presenting as an unusual floor of mouth mass in a child

Floor of mouth lesions in the paediatric population are uncommon. The spectrum of pathology that afflicts the floor of mouth spans inflammatory conditions, developmental anomalies, vascular malformations and benign tumours or malignancies. We report a rare case of Gardner-associated fibroma (GAF) presenting as a slow-growing floor of mouth mass in a 10-year-old boy. GAF is associated with Gardner’s syndrome (GS) and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), both of which are associated with multiple colonic polyps and increased risk of colorectal malignancy. To our knowledge, this case report represents the first case in the literature of a GAF presenting in the floor of mouth of a paediatric patient, and discusses the clinical implications of this rare diagnosis.

Recurrent infantile digital fibromatosis with HPV infection: a case report

Infantile digital fibromatosis is a rare, benign fibrous tumor among infants usually limited to fingers and toes. Most cases present themselves with round eosinophilic inclusion bodies of different sizes, similar to erythrocyte in the parakarytoplasm. Although infantile digital fibromatosis had been observed with a tendency of spontaneous regression after a rapid phase of growth in some reports, the recurrence rate of early surgical intervention remains high. And the mechanism of recurrence is still unknown. Human papillomavirus (HPV), as a circular icosahedral double-stranded DNA virus, is famous for its remarkable significant correlation with cervical cancer. However, the reports about the possible relationship of recurrent infantile digital fibromatosis and HPV infection are rare and inconsistent. Here, we report a recurrent case of infantile digital fibromatosis after surgical resection. Pathological biopsy of the recurrent site not only identified the diagnosis of infantile digital fibromatosis again, but found the sign of HPV infection. Family history indicated that the patient's grandmother had a history of verruca plana. After complete resection of recurrence, the tumor recurred again and the case is still being followed up. The unique case may serve as a clue to the pathogenesis of the relationship between recurrent infantile digital fibromatosis and HPV infection.

Musculoskeletal small biopsies from small patients: current status in 2 academic hospitals

INTRODUCTION

Pediatric bone and soft tissue (BST) lesions typically undergo biopsy prior to treatment, which commonly involves core needle biopsy (CNB) and/or fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). This study looks at the utility of small biopsies in the current diagnosis of pediatric BST lesions from 2 institutions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective search of BST small biopsies obtained during a 2-year time period (2018-2019) at 2 academic institutions was performed to look at clinicopathologic features, biopsy diagnoses, and correlation with follow-up.

RESULTS

A total of 96 pediatric patients (average age 11.2 years, range: 10 months-19 years) with BST lesions underwent a small biopsy, which represents 5% of the total BST lesions biopsied. The results show that the majority of lesions were benign (65%), and diagnosed by CNB alone (73%); a combination of FNAB and CNB (16%), and FNAB alone (11%), were less frequent. The CNB was effective in making a definitive diagnosis in 93% of cases and overall small biopsy was effective in 91% of the cases. Cases with definitive diagnoses on small biopsy were more likely to have concurrent CNB or characteristic ancillary studies performed.

CONCLUSIONS

Although pediatric BST lesions constitute only 5% of all BST lesions biopsied, minimally invasive small biopsies with cytologic evaluation for triage and appropriate ancillary study utilization can help render specific diagnoses that help to determine the appropriate treatment for young patients with BST lesions. The current diagnostic approach frequently involves CNB with intraprocedural evaluation or concurrent FNAB, with fewer biopsied by FNAB alone.