Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the neck with thyroid invasion: a case report and literature review

Crizotinib combined with bronchoscopic interventional treatment in ALK-positive inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of left main stem bronchus: a case report

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT), also known as an inflammatory pseudotumor, is a unique type of intermediate soft tissue tumor that commonly occurred in the lung. Its unclear etiology and cellular activity brought about the confusion not only in naming of it, but also in diagnosis and treatment.

CASE PRESENTATION

We reported the case of an 18-year-old male student who suffered from shortness of breath, chest tightness and chest pain. Chest computed tomography scan showed a spherical neoplasm blocking left main stem bronchus. After fiberoptic bronchoscopy procedure, the results of histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis indicated an IMT. The targeted next generation sequencing based genomic profiling of the tumor using formalin-fixed and paraffin embedded tissue was performed and a EML4-ALK fusion was detected. The patient began to receive Crizotinib, a ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor, at a dose of 250 mg twice daily orally. The patient has recovered well after the operation, and no recurrence or metastasis has been found after 12 months' follow-up.

CONCLUSION

By means of the diagnosis and treatment of this case, the characteristics and therapies of IMT are illustrated. In addition, it also provides a reference for the therapeutic strategy of IMT in the future.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the thyroid gland

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a mesenchymal tumor with low incidence, which is extremely rare in the thyroid. At present, there is a lack of understanding regarding the etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of thyroid IMT. To improve the understanding of the disease, this article reviews the pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, pathology and immunohistochemistry, diagnosis, therapy and prognosis of thyroid IMT.

Clinicopathologic features and biologic behavior of canine splenic nodules with stromal, histiocytic and lymphoid components

The term fibrohistiocytic nodule has been discouraged in favor of specific pathologic entities, including complex nodular hyperplasia, splenic stromal sarcoma and histiocytic sarcoma. Nevertheless, the diagnosis of splenic lesions with mixed stromal, histiocytic and lymphoid components still remains a challenge due to lack of straightforward histologic criteria. Misestimation of the biologic behavior of these lesions may lead to detrimental consequences on the clinical management of patients. In this study, we retrospectively evaluated the clinicopathologic features and outcome of canine splenic nodular lesions with mixed components, to identify prognostic factors and histologic criteria of malignancy. Thirty-seven cases were included. Immunohistochemistry did not allow for further subclassification. Nine (24.3%) dogs died from disease-related causes after a median of 234 days (range, 48–1,247). One-, 2- and 3-year disease-specific survival rates were 80, 60, and 43%, respectively. When considering nodules with stromal cell atypia and at least one of mitotic count ≥9, presence of karyomegaly/multinucleated cells and lymphoid component <40%, half of these dogs died of disease-related causes with a median disease-specific survival time of 548 days (95% CI, 0-1216). In the remaining dogs, no disease-related death was reported (P < 0.001). Canine splenic nodular lesions with mixed stromal, histiocytic and lymphoid components and histologic criteria of malignancy may behave aggressively, leading to distant metastasis and death. In the absence of further criteria aiding their classification, and to better characterize their biologic behavior, we encourage the distinction of these complex splenic tumors from conventional sarcomas and histiocytic sarcomas.

Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor of the Subglottis: A Rare Case Report

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a very rare mesenchymal tumor that can behave as a locally benign or aggressive lesion. Here, we present an extremely rare case of IMT involving the subglottic of a middle-aged male. Steroid therapy treatment alleviated dyspnea, but the recurrence of dyspnea was reported two months later. Both sides of the subglottic tumor were excised following treatment, and the surgical specimens were subjected to histopathological evaluation and diagnosis for IMT. At 4 years after excision, follow-up laryngoscopy revealed symmetric vocal cords without evidence of any subglottic mass. Subglottic mass is often asymptomatic until it presents with hoarseness or dyspnea, and subglottic IMT is rare. Based on the successful treatment of our case, complete surgical excision is highly recommended for this rare tumor. However, further research is needed to discover a more effective and cost-effective treatment approach.

What do we know about inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors? - A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMTs) are rare intermediate-grade neoplasms that have a high recurrence rate after excision and exhibit low metastatic potential. These tumors contain proliferating neoplastic, fibroblastic and myofibroblastic cells, and are also characterized by chronic inflammatory infiltration by lymphocytes, plasma cells, eosinophils, and histiocytes. They belong to the group of inflammatory spindle cell lesions. Some reactive lesions, such as inflammatory pseudotumors, may appear to be IMTs, which makes their differential diagnosis extremely difficult. The aim of this article is to compile the recent information on IMTs to aid in their diagnosis and treatment.

METHODS

We reviewed articles published between 2017 and 2021, which were selected from online medical databases. In addition, some earlier articles and latest scientific monographies were analyzed.

RESULTS

The terminology used for inflammatory spindle cell lesions seems to be confusing. The terms "inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors" and "inflammatory pseudotumors" are interchangeably used by many scientists. However, a detailed analysis of the development of terminology suggests that the term "inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors" should be used to refer to a neoplastic lesion.

CONCLUSIONS

IMTs are rare neoplasms, which have not been investigated in detail due to the difficulty in collecting a large number of cases. Thus, our knowledge about this disease remains unsatisfactory. Recently developed techniques such as next-generation sequencing and computer-aided histopathological diagnosis may be useful in understanding the etiopathology of IMTs, which will help in the selection of the most appropriate therapy for patients.

A clinical signature predicting the malignant transformation of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor in the head and neck

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors in the head and neck (HNIMTs) sometimes show aggressive clinical features and can be diagnosed as HNIMT with malignant transformation.

METHODS

The clinicopathological features of 45 HNIMTs with or without malignant transformation were retrospectively investigated. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic analysis were used to establish the predictive model.

RESULTS

HNIMT with malignant transformation was associated with worse prognosis. HNIMT with a tumor size of >4.4 cm, tumors located in the maxillary sinus, or a preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) greater than 1.958 were associated with higher chance of malignant transformation, with an AUC value of 0.9189. Postoperative radiotherapy could benefit HNIMT patients with high risk of malignant transformation.

CONCLUSIONS

HNIMT patients with a tumor size of >4.4 cm, tumors located in the maxillary sinus, and a preoperative NLR over 1.958 were associated with a higher risk of malignant transformation. These patients can benefit from postoperative radiotherapy.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the pancreatic neck: A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a relatively rare disease that is often confused with pancreatic cancer or pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. The histological features of IMTs show that tissue from this type of tumor contains an intermingling of fibroblast and myofibroblast proliferation, accompanied by a varying degree of inflammatory cell infiltration.

CASE SUMMARY

The management of an IMT occurring at the neck of the pancreas is presented in this paper. A 66-year-old female patient was diagnosed with a pancreatic neck mass after a series of tests. The patient underwent enucleation of the pancreatic neck tumor after a pathological diagnosis of IMT. Previous research on the clinical features, pathological diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic IMTs was reviewed. Compared with previous reports, this is a unique case of enucleation of a pancreatic IMT.

CONCLUSION

The enucleation of pancreatic IMTs may be a safe and efficient surgical method for managing such tumors with a better prognosis. Further cases are required to explore surgical measures for pancreatic IMTs.