title: [A rare low-grade malignant scalp tumor. Atypical fibroxanthoma].
abstract: A 79-year-old patient presented with an asymptomatic scalp tumor which had grown over the past 9 months. Based on clinical, histological and immunohistochemical staining, we made the diagnosis of an atypical fibroxanthoma (AFX). AFX is a rare tumor, but important in the differential diagnosis of other scalp tumors. The routine histological staining allows one to identify a malignant fibrous histiocytoma, while a spindle-cell malignant melanoma can be excluded with immunohistochemical staining. An anaplastic squamous cell carcinoma cannot always be separated with completed certainty from atypical fibroxanthoma. AFX is a low-grade malignant tumor and most cases behave in a benign fashion. After complete excision, we recommend follow-up for a number of years because of the possibility of local recurrence.
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinik für Dermatologie und Venerologie der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale).
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stepanova
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Marsch
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Stadie
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D018219:Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035583:Rare Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D012535:Scalp / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery
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