Nodular fasciitis: clinical characteristics and preoperative diagnosis.
OBJECTIVE
Because of its rapid growth, hypercellularity, and brisk mitotic rate, nodular fasciitis (NF) is probably the most common benign mesenchymal tumor that is misdiagnosed as a sarcoma, often leading to unnecessary and overly aggressive therapy.


METHODS
This retrospective study evaluated the characteristics of 92 well-documented cases of NF treated from 1988 to 2001. Gender, age, location, size, and clinical symptoms were analyzed, as was the accuracy of preoperative diagnosis.


RESULTS
Females were predominant (male-to-female ratio, 1:1.71; p = 0.006, binomial distribution). Accurate preoperative diagnosis was made in only 14.1%, but this rate improved in recent years (p = 0.034, chi-squared test for trend). The pathologic subtype of NF did not correlate with the duration of the lesion.


CONCLUSIONS
Clinicians should include NF in the differential diagnosis of rapidly growing subcutaneous tumors and not rush to overly aggressive therapy.
Department of Dermatology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Chiayi, Taiwan.
Ching-Chi
CC
Chi
Tseng-Tong
TT
Kuo
Shu-Hui
SH
Wang
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005208:Fasciitis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors