Fine needle aspiration diagnosis of fibromatosis colli. A report of three cases.
BACKGROUND
Fibromatosis colli, a common cause of congenital muscular torticollis, should be differentiated from other neck masses in infants. Invasive diagnostic and therapeutic measures should be avoided.


METHODS
Three infants under the age of 2 months presented with neck masses--a clinical suspicion of malignancy, lymphadenopathy and teratoma. The cytologic findings included dyshesive multinucleated skeletal muscle fragments showing degenerative and atrophic changes within a background of scattered reactive fibroblasts.


CONCLUSIONS
Fine needle aspiration biopsy is a safe and rapid method of providing a confirmatory diagnosis of neck masses in infants.
Apple
S K
SK
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles 90095, USA.
Nieberg
R K
RK
Hirschowitz
S L
SL
D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D005350:Fibroma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D019042:Muscle Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D009334:Neck Muscles / Q000473:pathology*; D014103:Torticollis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology