title: Clinical and histological patterns of dermatofibroma without gross skin surface change: A comparative study with conventional dermatofibroma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dermatofibroma sometimes clinically presents as a nodular lesion without gross skin surface change. Clinicopathologic features of this variant of dermatofibroma have not been evaluated.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess clinicopathologic features of dermatofibroma presenting as a subcutaneous nodule.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study reviewed the clinical and histological features of 42 cases of subcutaneous dermatofibromas and compared them with 95 cases of conventional dermatofibroma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Dermatofibroma without gross skin surface change was associated with a shorter pre-diagnosis duration than conventional dermatofibroma. Increase in size during the pre-diagnosis period was significantly more frequent in the conventional type. In addition, these dermatofibromas were more likely than the conventional type to occur in the head and neck region. Although tumor depth was deeper than in the conventional type, less than half of the dermatofibromas without gross skin surface change were found histologically to be "subcutaneous" or "deep-penetrating dermatofibroma". Subcutaneous extension was more frequent in these dermatofibromas while focal stromal hyalinization and hemosiderin deposits were more common in the conventional type.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is a retrospective, single center design.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study suggests that dermatofibroma without gross skin surface change is a variant type with distinct clinical and histological features that distinguish them from conventional dermatofibroma.
authors: Woo Jin
authors: WJ
authors: Lee
authors: Joon Min
authors: JM
authors: Jung
authors: Chong Hyun
authors: CH
authors: Won
authors: Sung Eun
authors: SE
authors: Chang
authors: Jee Ho
authors: JH
authors: Choi
authors: Kee Chan
authors: KC
authors: Moon
authors: Department of Dermatology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Mi Woo
authors: MW
authors: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D018219:Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult