Malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the face: report of a case.
BACKGROUND
Soft tissue sarcomas in the head and neck region are rare and often present a difficult differential diagnosis. The aim of our presentation is to point out the complexity of the diagnosis, treatment and follow up.


METHODS
An eighty-seven year old female patient was referred to our unit with a fast growing brownish lump on the face. Four months beforehand, a benign fibrous histiocytoma (BFH) had been removed from the same location by excision biopsy with wide tumour-free resection margins. Excision biopsy of the recurrent lesion revealed a malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH). Radical tumour resection was completed by extended parotidectomy and neck dissection; the skin defect was covered by a regional bi-lobed flap. No adjuvant radio- or chemotherapy was administered. Full functional and cosmetic recovery was achieved; follow-up has been uneventful more than two years postoperatively.


CONCLUSIONS
Malignant transformation of BFH is extremely rare and if so, extended radical surgery may give a fair chance for a favourable outcome even in patients with advanced age.
Seper
László
L
Department of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Muenster, Waldeyerstr, 30, 48149 Muenster, Germany. seper@uni-muenster.de
Schwab
Richárd
R
Kiattavorncharoen
Sirichai
S
Büchter
Andre
A
Bánkfalvi
Agnes
A
Joos
Ulrich
U
Piffkó
József
J
Kruse-Loesler
Birgit
B
D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D005153:Facial Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D051677:Histiocytoma, Malignant Fibrous / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D037981:Neck Dissection / Q000379:methods; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016896:Treatment Outcome