Nodular Fasciitis - Report of a Rare Case

Nodular fasciitis is a benign proliferative lesion of fibroblasts with pseudosarcomatous histologic features. It is a benign soft tissue lesion, most commonly found in the superficial fascia and was first reported by Konwaler et al in 1955. The lesion usually occurs in the first three decades of life; however, it is more common in children. It usually arises in the subcutaneous tissues, with the most common location being the upper extremities, followed by the head and neck, the lower extremities and trunk. Nodular fasciitis has been considered a reactive process of uncertain etiology. However, recent findings indicate that nodular fasciitis is a self-limited clonal neoplastic process. Clinically, nodular fasciitis presents as a subcutaneous "growth" over a period of 3-6 weeks that eventually regresses. The clinical feature of nodular fasciitis may include a sudden onset of a rapidly growing tumour, which may suggest an aggressive or even malignant process. Because of the alarming histologic characteristics, pathologists have frequently diagnosed the lesion as a malignancy. However, it is now generally agreed that nodular fasciitis is benign and never metastasises. The treatment for it is local excision, and the recurrence as reported in the literature is very rare. This poster highlights a case of nodular fasciitis in a 7-year-old girl. Parole chiave: nodular fasciitis