Congenital atrophic dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans in a 7-month-old boy treated with Mohs micrographic surgery

Atrophic dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans: Two case reports and literature review

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans is a rare, locally aggressive, slowly growing cutaneous fibroblastic sarcoma with a high recurrence rate and low metastatic potential. Atrophic dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans is a rare variant usually presents as atrophic plaques, easily neglected and misdiagnosed as benign lesions by patients and dermatologists. Here we report two cases of atrophic dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, one of which was accompanied by pigment, and review other cases have been reported in the literature. Understanding the most up-to-date literature and early identification of these dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans variants can help clinicians avoid delayed diagnosis and improve prognosis.

Systematic review of Mohs micrographic surgery in children: Identifying challenges and practical considerations for successful application

BACKGROUND

Few data exist to guide the application of Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) in the pediatric population.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to summarize the clinical characteristics of children undergoing MMS, identify challenges that limit the use of MMS in this population, and examine how these challenges can be overcome.

METHODS

A systematic review of PubMed and EMBASE, from inception of databases to November 2, 2019, identified all cases of pediatric skin lesions treated with MMS.

RESULTS

A total of 111 patients were included. The median patient age was 11 years (range 6 weeks to 17 years). The most commonly treated tumor was dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (n = 62), followed by basal cell carcinoma (n = 30). The most common location was the head and neck (n = 34), followed by the trunk (n = 28) and the extremities (n = 23). The most commonly cited challenges in the application of MMS in children included patient cooperation, concerns for the safety of prolonged general anesthesia, availability of a MMS service in the pediatric setting, and access to a histopathology laboratory experienced in MMS sectioning.

LIMITATIONS

Many articles did not report specific patient characteristics.

CONCLUSION

Multiple obstacles limit the application of MMS in pediatric patients. This review describes practical methods to circumvent these obstacles to facilitate the appropriate use of MMS in children.

Atrophic dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans: a clinicopathological study of 16 cases

We present a case series of atrophic dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) to further characterise its clinical and pathological features. Sixteen cases were enrolled in the study. There were five males and 11 females with a median age of 28 years. The vast majority occurred in the trunk (12/16, 75%), whereas a minority involved the upper limb or limb gird (2/16, 12.5%), and head and neck region (2/16, 12.5%). The most common presentation was a depressed plaque-like lesion with a greyish-red to purplish-blue colour. Histologically, the lesion was dermal-based consisting of monomorphous spindle cells arranged in parallel fascicles with focal areas displaying storiform architecture. In addition, one case showed remarkable hyalinisation of the matrix, two cases contained scattered pigmented dendritic cells and one case had admixed giant cell fibroblastoma-like component, respectively. The diagnosis was confirmed by immunohistochemical study, and by further fluorescence in situ hybridisation analysis in six cases. Follow-up thus far has revealed a relatively low rate of local recurrence (1/10, 10%). Familiarity with the distinctive clinical and pathological features of atrophic DFSP helps avoid misdiagnosis. Like a classical DFSP, morphological variants can also occur in an atrophic DFSP, including pigmented, sclerosing and hybrid subtypes, albeit rare.

Mohs micrographic surgery for cutaneous malignancies: A focus review of its indications in pediatric age groups

Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) is a highly specialized technique that has been successful in the treatment of a variety of skin tumors. The technique can be performed as an outpatient procedure and encompasses surgical excision and intraoperative assessment of tumor margins in one setting by the same physician. The process ensures precise margin control with maximal preservation of healthy tissues. Mohs micrographic surgery has been practiced worldwide, including in the United States, Europe (United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Switzerland), and Australia. Although it is commonly performed in adults with greater success, it has been discussed less frequently in children. In this article, we describe several cutaneous tumors in children and the role of Mohs micrographic surgery in their management. A PubMed search was conducted to review the most common cutaneous tumors in children treated using Mohs micrographic surgery. In this review, we discuss indications for Mohs micrographic surgery and pertinent studies examining success rates in children. Mohs micrographic surgery has been used to treat several tumors in children and offers the advantage of high cure rates and tissue conservation. This report emphasizes the benefits of Mohs micrographic surgery in children and highlights several cutaneous tumors for which it has been used to treat successfully.

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans in an adolescent: a case report and review of the literature

Classically, dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a disease of adults. The world literature revision shows that several pediatric cases have been reported so far; this might suggest that the number of infants with the condition might be larger than that estimated previously. Here, we report the 183rd case of histologically confirmed DFSP in young age. A 14-year-old white male patient came under our care for a slowly growing, pale brownish lesion on the neck skin. A biopsy specimen showed a DFSP. Subsequently, a wide surgery excision with 3 cm of resection margins including the underlying fascia was performed. To date, the patient has been in follow-up for 6 years without evidence of recurrent disease. The clinical features and treatment of DFSP diagnosed in childhood and adolescence reported in the published literature are reviewed to provide new insights about this rare entity. The aim is to emphasize the importance of biopsy for histologic evaluation in the cases that show a persistent or a large cutaneous plaque or nodule without pathognomonic clinical features that permit a clinical diagnosis. An accurate knowledge of the disease is the prerequisite for a wider recognition and appropriate treatment.

Unusual and recently described cutaneous atrophic disorders

Cutaneous atrophic conditions are typically caused by changes in the dermis or subcutaneous tissue, sometimes consisting of the loss of a single fiber type. Since a significant decrease of subepidermal tissue is necessary for these lesions to be macroscopically atrophic, many conditions may not be appreciated as atrophy in the clinical setting. Clinicians should be familiar with the common or classic disorders causing cutaneous atrophy; however, there are a few new or rarely described atrophic conditions which are more difficult to identify and may not be atrophic clinically. This paper serves to describe the salient clinical and histological features of these new or rare disorders.

Surgical management of congenital dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans

Congenital dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a rare tumor with varying clinical presentations that is commonly misdiagnosed. Treatment of congenital DFSP is complicated by delays in diagnosis and its propensity for subclinical spread. Of 61 reported cases, 11 (18%) were treated with Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) and 46 (75%) were treated with wide local excision (WLE). One case was treated with imatinib, and the remaining 3 did not differentiate between receiving MMS or WLE. In the cases of congenital DFSP treated with MMS the clearance rate was 100% with an average follow-up of 4.3 years. The clearance rate seen with WLE was 89% with an average follow-up period of 1.9 years. The average margins taken during MMS (1.7 cm) were smaller than those taken with WLE (2.8 cm). Fifty percent of cases with available follow-up undergoing WLE required multiple surgeries. Based on superior cure rates with long-term follow-up, smaller surgical margins, and fewer surgical sessions, MMS should be considered as first-line treatment for congenital DFSP.