Uncommon presentation of desmoplastic fibroblastoma on the tongue of a female patient

Abstract

Desmoplastic fibroblastoma (DF) is a rare benign soft tissue with spindle-to-stellate-shaped fibroblasts and myofibroblasts embedded in a prominent collagenous background. DF, mainly affecting subcutaneous and muscle tissue, very rarely occurs in the oral cavity. Hitherto, only one case of DF on the tongue has been reported. Here, we report another case. A 66-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with a mass formation in the tongue. On examination, a well-circumscribed, elastic, soft tumour with normal surface mucosa, measuring 13×12 mm, was observed on the left dorsal surface of her tongue. MRI and ultrasonography confirmed the mass, and a benign tongue tumour was suspected. The tumour was surgically resected under general anaesthesia 1 month later, leading to the histopathological diagnosis of DF. She experienced an uneventful clinical recovery after surgery, with no recurrence noted for more than 1 year postoperatively.

Desmoplastic fibroblastoma (collagenous fibroma) on the mandibular ridge: case report and review of immunohistochemical markers

“…The case described in this report has clinical, pathological, and immunohistochemical characteristics coincident with other DFs that affected the oral cavity. [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] However, the anatomical location of this case coincides with only one 8 of the 14 cases reported in the literature and has different symptomatology from most of them. The DF may arise despite no identification of traumatic injury or inciting event.…”

“…Clinically, according to the literature, the DF is a mass of tissue of firm or elastic consistency and a slow growth rate. [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] Moreover, the lesions are well-circumscribed, the color might be similar to the oral mucosa, red, yellowish, or purplish, and the size can vary from 7 mm to 6 cm. [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] Our patient was a 59-year-old woman whose tumor had clinical characteristics similar to the ones described in the literature.…”

“…[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] Moreover, the lesions are well-circumscribed, the color might be similar to the oral mucosa, red, yellowish, or purplish, and the size can vary from 7 mm to 6 cm. [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] Our patient was a 59-year-old woman whose tumor had clinical characteristics similar to the ones described in the literature. Interestingly, this type of pathology is not associated with pain, but its presence can interfere with speech, chewing, and closing movements of the mouth.…”

“…Adipocytes and skeletal muscle might also be observed, and focal calcification in the center of the tumor was seen in only one of the cases reported. [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] Thus, the histological differential diagnosis of DF should include inflammatory fibrous hyperplasia (IFH), giant cell fibroma (GCF), traumatic fibroma (TF), benign mesenchymal neoplasms such as myofibroma, neurofibroma, and solitary fibrous tumor (SFT), and less frequent soft-tissue lesions like nodular fasciitis and fibromatosis. 8,9,15,18 Myofibroma differs from DF because it usually presents a biphasic pattern consisting of fusiform cell fascicles al- ternating with areas with a hemangiopericytoma-like form.…”

“…8 The involvement of the oral cavity is extremely rare, and to the extent of our knowledge, there are only 14 cases reported in the literature so far. [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] Therefore, this study details a new case in the alveolar ridge and compares its histopathological and immunohistochemical characteristics with the reports available in the literature concerning the DF diagnosis.…”