Facial fibromatosis: benign and aggressive, yet treatable!

Abstract

Fibromatosis or desmoid tumors are locally aggressive neoplasms that have a propensity for local invasion and recurrence. The mainstay of treatment is excision with negative margins and the role of radiotherapy is controversial. Desmoids arising in the head and neck area are rare and pose a dilemma to the surgeon due to large number of vital structures that preclude resection with wide margins. This leads to a high incidence of recurrence. We present a case of a 24-year-old male who presented with an asymptomatic left sided facial swelling causing cosmetic deformity. A subcutaneous lipoma/fibroma/neuroma was suspected and a fine needle aspiration done was inconclusive. Computed tomography revealed a subcutaneous swelling that was excised. Histopathology revealed it to be a desmoid tumor. At the end of 4-year-follow-up, he has no local recurrence.

Keywords

• facial fibromatosis
• desmoid
• head and neck
• excision
• recurrence