[Extraabdominal Desmoid (12-Year Follow-up of a Group).]

The authors present a group of three female patients treated on account of an extraabdominal desmoid during the last 12 years at the Orthopaedic Clinic of the Faculty Hospital in Hradec Králové. The age of one patient was 27 years, the others were 30 years old. They reported mild pain of the soft tissue tumour on touch or during active movement. The tumour was in one instance in the area of the back and twice in the area of the shoulder. Preoperative examinations include X-ray pictures in the basic projections and ultrasound. It is useful to supplement them by CT examination which gives more detailed information on the relationship of the tumour and surrounding tissues. Most important for establishment of the diagnosis is histological examination where in particular in proliferating varieties the differentiation from fibrosarcoma is difficult. In all instances treatment was by surgery, i. e. wide excision of the tumour into sound tissue. This procedure alone was sufficient in patient no. 2. The marked tendency of local relapses of the tumour called in the remaining two patients for repeated reoperations, in patient no. 3 after several relapses actinotherapy was used. In the discussion the authors mention hormonal influences and injuries which according to data in the literature can play a part in the etiology of this relatively rare disease affecting mainly women in fertile age. The long-term prognosis is very favourable and with advancing age relapses are less frequent. Key words: extraabdominal desmoid, diagnosis, treatment.