Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 2, 2025
Author Spotlight: Collecting the Brain and Serum from the Same Mice Fetus to Study Brain Tumor Development
Published on: May 17, 2024
Pediatric dermatofibromas: Truncal predominance in younger children
Brenna G Kelly1, Joel C Joyce2, Melodee A Liegl3
1Department of Dermatology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
Insights
Pediatric dermatofibromas are uncommon in children and frequently misdiagnosed. This study analyzed cases in children under 18, finding trunk predominance and common misdiagnoses like cysts.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Pediatric Pathology
Background:
- Pediatric dermatofibromas are rare and poorly characterized in young children.
- Clinical misdiagnosis is common for these lesions in pediatric populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize pediatric dermatofibromas.
- To evaluate clinical presentation, diagnostic accuracy, and lesion characteristics in children under 18 years.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective case series analysis.
- Inclusion of patients under 18 years with histopathologically confirmed dermatofibromas.
- Evaluation of demographics, lesion characteristics, and pre-biopsy diagnoses.
Main Results:
- Dermatofibromas were most frequently located on the back and chest (38%), followed by legs (28%) and arms (23%).
- The most common pre-biopsy diagnosis was "cyst" (43%), followed by dermatofibroma (30%) and pilomatricoma (23%).
- Findings support a truncal predominance in pediatric dermatofibromas, contrasting with adult presentations.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric dermatofibromas exhibit a predilection for the trunk.
- Improved clinical recognition is needed to reduce misdiagnosis of pediatric dermatofibromas.
Abstract:
Pediatric dermatofibromas are considered rare in young children and have not been well characterized, often misdiagnosed clinically. We performed a retrospective case series of children younger than 18 years with histopathologically diagnosed dermatofibromas at our institutions and evaluated age at onset and diagnosis, sex, lesion location, and size, associated symptoms, change over time, and pre-biopsy diagnosis. Overall, dermatofibromas were most common on the back and chest (20/53; 38%), followed by the legs (15/53; 28%) and arms (12/53; 23%) with the most common pre-biopsy diagnosis of "cyst" (23/53; 43%), followed by dermatofibroma (16/53; 30%), and pilomatricoma (12/53; 23%). Our study reinforces previous findings of truncal predominance of pediatric dermatofibromas, different from adults.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Skin Cancer
Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC): BCC is the most common type of skin cancer, accounting for about 80% of cases. It typically develops in...
01:23Skin Diseases and Disorders
Gram-positive Staphylococcus spp. and Streptococcus spp. are responsible for many of the most common skin infections. However, many...
01:11Papillary Dermis
The dermis might be considered the "core" of the integumentary system, as distinct from the epidermis and hypodermis. It contains blood and lymph vessels, nerves, and other structures, such as hair follicles and sweat glands. The dermis is made of two layers of connective tissue that comprise an interconnected mesh of elastin and collagenous fibers, produced by fibroblasts.
Papillary Layer
The papillary layer is made of loose, areolar connective tissue, which means the collagen...
01:15Reticular Dermis
Reticular Layer
Underlying the papillary layer is the much thicker reticular layer, composed of dense, irregular connective...
01:06Multipotency and Niche of Bulge Stem Cell
01:20The Retinoblastoma Gene
The first-ever tumor suppressor gene called Rb was identified in retinoblastoma - a rare eye tumor in children. In inherited forms of the disease, a child inherits one defective copy of the Rb gene, which predisposes them to retinoblastoma. However,...