Fibrous tumours in children: imaging features of a heterogeneous group of disorders.
BACKGROUND
Fibrous tumours are predominantly soft tissue lesions which are relatively frequent in childhood but are little known. Imaging is often used in the evaluation of these tumours but their characteristics, particularly on US or MRI, have not been studied systematically.


OBJECTIVE
To provide an overview of the clinical and imaging features of the different disorders, and to correlate them with the currently used classification schemes.


METHODS
Twenty-five patients with fibrous tumours were evaluated retrospectively. Clinical histories were studied for the histopathological diagnosis, age, signs and symptoms at presentation, mode of therapy and follow-up where available. Imaging findings were analysed for the following variables: number, location, size, margin and architecture of soft tissue and/or visceral lesions and the presence and pattern of osseous involvement. Comparison with the available literature was performed.


RESULTS
The following tumour types were encountered: desmoid fibromatosis (n = 9), myofibromatosis (n = 7), fibromatosis colli (n = 2), congenital-infantile fibrosarcoma (n = 2), adult-type fibrosarcoma (n = 2), fibrous hamartoma of infancy (n = 1), angiofibroma (n = 1) and hyaline fibromatosis (n = 1).


CONCLUSIONS
While some tumours were non-specific in their clinical and radiological manifestation, others such as myofibromatosis, fibromatosis colli, fibrous hamartoma of infancy and angiofibroma exhibited a characteristic pattern which allowed a diagnosis to be made even without histology.
Eich
G F
GF
Division of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology, The University Children's Hospital, Steinwiesstrasse 75, CH-8032 Zurich, Switzerland.
Hoeffel
J C
JC
Tschäppeler
H
H
Gassner
I
I
Willi
U V
UV
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005350:Fibroma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D018224:Myofibromatosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography