Angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma

This article reports a case of angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma (AFH), a rare fibrous tissue tumor with unique clinical characteristics. Formerly, this tumor was classified as angiomatoid malignant fibrous histiocytoma. First described in 1979, AFH was felt to be a variant of malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH). One dominant characteristic that differentiates this tumor from the remainder of MFH subtypes is that it most often presents in individuals younger than 20 years of age. The usual MFH occurs in the seventh decade of life. Because of its rarity, AFH has been difficult to classify and, during this current year, has been designated as a separate entity, rather than a subtype of MFH. Clinically, the tumor presents as a soft-tissue mass in the subcutis or deep dermal layers of the body, often presenting on the extremities or neck. Local recurrence has been reported, but mortality figures are very favorable and wide local removal is sufficient treatment.