Postoperative fibromatosis-type fibromas in the Bhd gene mutant (Nihon) rat

Fibromatosis-type fibromas were found to develop at abdominal surgical sites in 4 heterozygous Nihon rats, a model for the human Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome. In all 4 rats, solitary and firm nodules were located within the lateral abdominal musculature involving the full thickness of the abdominal wall at the sites of laparotomy. Histologically, the nodules consisted of well-differentiated fibroblastic spindle-shaped cells. These cells were surrounded by large amounts of collagen fibers, and appeared to infiltrate within the abdominal musculature. A portion of the spindle-shaped cells showed features of myofibroblasts. These characteristics are consistent with desmoid tumors in human. Although the etiology of desmoid tumors in human remains unclear, they are known to occur in association with hormonal factors, surgical trauma, and familial adenomatous polyposis. In animals, they have been reported in dogs, cats, horses, and genetically modified mouse models for human familial adenomatous polyposis. The development of the tumors in the Nihon rats was apparently associated with surgical incisions. Genetic factor should be involved in the occurrence of the tumor, since it was found only in the Nihon rats among many rats. Our present data suggest that Bhd gene mutation is not likely to be a candidate.