Is radical surgery necessary to head and neck inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) in children?
OBJECTIVE
We report a case of head and neck inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) in an infant. Reviewing the literature, we discuss the etiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of the head and neck IMT in children.


METHODS
A 52-day-old infant was admitted with an enlarging lesion in the right head and neck region. Following total excision, the lesion recurred and progressed to terminal stage. We performed a review of the literature on head and neck IMTs in children up to the age of 18 years and assessed the treatments and related prognosis of IMT in the head and neck region.


CONCLUSIONS
The children's prognosis of head and neck IMT is diverse with different treatments. Combined treatment of surgical and corticosteroid is recommended for younger children, especially infants.
Ma
Lu
L
Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province 610041, People's Republic of China.
Wang
Kun
K
Liu
Wen-ke
WK
Zhang
Yue-kang
YK
D006104:Granuloma, Plasma Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome