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Extracranial fasciitis in childhood: a sheep in wolf's clothing
C Hughes1, P Revington, J Berry
1Specialist Registrar, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Frenchay Hospital, Frenchay, Bristol, UK. dr.ceri.hughes@talk21.com
Insights
Childhood extracranial fasciitis is a rare soft tissue tumor in infants. Early diagnosis and conservative surgical excision are crucial for successful treatment of this benign condition.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Pediatric Pathology
- Head and Neck Surgery
Background:
- Soft tissue tumors in children are uncommon, presenting diagnostic challenges in distinguishing benign from malignant lesions.
- Rapidly growing head and neck masses in infants necessitate prompt diagnosis and treatment to minimize patient and family distress.
Observation:
- A case study of a 17-month-old girl with a large, rapidly growing soft tissue mass in the maxilla.
- The mass was surgically excised and histopathologically diagnosed as childhood extracranial fasciitis.
Findings:
- Childhood extracranial fasciitis, a benign entity, can mimic malignant sarcomas clinically.
- Histopathological confirmation is essential for accurate diagnosis.
Implications:
- Conservative surgical excision is recommended once childhood extracranial fasciitis is diagnosed.
- Accurate diagnosis prevents unnecessary aggressive treatment for benign pediatric soft tissue tumors.
Abstract:
Soft tissue tumours in children are rare, and the differentiation between pseudosarcomatous tumours and sarcomas is difficult. Rapidly-enlarging masses within the head and neck region in infants require rapid diagnosis and prompt definitive treatment to lessen psychological burden on the parents and the surgical team. We present a case of a 17-month-old girl who had a large, rapidly-enlarging soft tissue mass within the maxilla which was excised. The diagnosis of childhood extracranial fasciitis was confirmed histopathologically. We emphasise the importance of conservative excision once the diagnosis has been confirmed.