Pediatric hibernoma: a case review.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Surgical Oncology
• Diagnostic Pathology

Background:

• Hibernomas are rare, benign tumors originating from brown adipose tissue.
• Typically asymptomatic, they are often discovered incidentally during imaging or surgery.
• This case highlights a rare presentation of a hibernoma in a pediatric patient.

Observation:

• A 12-year-old female presented with a constellation of symptoms including chest discomfort, night sweats, shortness of breath, fatigue, and pruritus.
• These symptoms persisted for one year prior to diagnosis.
• A supraclavicular lump was identified and subsequently biopsied.

Findings:

• Histopathological examination of the supraclavicular lump confirmed the diagnosis of a benign hibernoma.
• This represents the first reported instance of a symptomatic hibernoma in the global medical literature.
• The patient's symptoms were directly attributed to the presence of the tumor.

Implications:

• Surgical excision is an effective treatment for symptomatic hibernomas, leading to complete symptom resolution.
• This case expands the clinical spectrum of hibernoma presentation, emphasizing the need for considering rare diagnoses in pediatric patients.
• Long-term follow-up is crucial to ensure no recurrence, as demonstrated by the one-year post-excision monitoring in this case.