title: Dermatomyofibroma: additional observations on a distinctive cutaneous myofibroblastic tumour with emphasis on differential diagnosis.
abstract: Following the very recent description of a benign plaque-like myofibroblastic tumour of the skin, known as dermatomyofibroma, we present four further cases, emphasizing its clinical features and its histological differential diagnosis. Three patients were adult females and one was a boy. Two of the lesions arose on the anterior abdominal wall, one on the shoulder, and one on the neck. Clinically, there was often close resemblance to a keloid. Follow-up revealed no evidence of recurrence after simple excision. Histologically, these were non-encapsulated but well-circumscribed, plaque-like lesions located in the reticular dermis, and composed of fascicles of monomorphic myofibroblasts, orientated parallel to the skin surface. Immunohistochemically, most of the tumour cells expressed alpha-smooth-muscle actin. The principal differential diagnosis is plaque-stage dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. Other differential diagnoses include diffuse neurofibroma, dermatofibroma and other myofibroblastic skin tumours.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histopathology, St Thomas' Hospital (UMDS), London, U.K.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mentzel
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Calonje
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Fletcher
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000032:analysis; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005354:Fibrosarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007627:Keloid / Q000175:diagnosis; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins