Medical Terms Learned today

Fibromas of the tendon sheath mainly involve the fingers, hands, and wrists [1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6]. Seventy-five to 82% of the tumors are found in these locations [1 and 2]. Fibromas of the tendon sheath comprise approximately 3% of soft tissue tumors in the hands and fingers [6]. The tumor usually forms as a slow-growing, firm, painless, small nodule in association with tendons and tendon sheaths. Male patients outnumber females with a ratio of 1.5–3:1 [1 and 2]. The peak incidence of the tumor is in the third to fourth decade [1 and 2].

AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2003 May;180(5):1449-53
MR imaging of fibroma of the tendon sheath.
Fox MG, Kransdorf MJ, Bancroft LW, Peterson JJ, Flemming DJ.
Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL 32224-3899, USA.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to describe the MR imaging characteristics of fibroma of the tendon sheath. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of fibroma of the tendon sheath can be suggested when MR imaging reveals a focal nodular mass adjacent to a tendon sheath with decreased signal on all pulse sequences and little or no enhancement.

tendon sheath fibroma

Immunochemistry:

vimentin +
muscle-ŝpecific actin +
smooth muscle actin +
desmin -
CD68 +/-
factor XIIIa +
CD34 +

Differential diagnosis

fibrous histiocytoma
nodular fasciitis
giant cell tumor of the tendon sheath
if nuclear pleomorphism: malignant fibrous histiocytoma

Cytogenetics

transclocations involving chromosome 2
http://www.humpath.com

1. EB Chung and FM Enzinger, Fibroma of tendon sheath. Cancer 44 (1979), pp. 1945–1954. Abstract-EMBASE
| Abstract-MEDLINE

2. DR Pulitzer, PC Martin and RJ Reed, Fibroma of tendon sheath. A clincopathologic study of 32 cases. Am J Surg Pathol 13 (1989), pp. 472–479. Abstract-EMBASE
| Abstract-MEDLINE

3. S Humphreys, PH McKee and CD Fletcher, Fibroma of tendon sheath. A clinicopathologic study. J Cutan Pathol 13 (1986), pp. 331–338. Abstract-EMBASE
| Abstract-MEDLINE

4. H Hashimoto, M Tsuneyoshi, Y Daimaru, M Ushijima and M Enjoji, Fibroma of tendon sheath. A tumor of myofibroblasts. A clinicopathologic study of 18 cases. Acta Pathol Jpn 35 (1985), pp. 1099–1107. Abstract-MEDLINE
| Abstract-EMBASE

5. PS Smith, AS Pieterse and J McClure, Fibroma of tendon sheath. J Clin Pathol 35 (1982), pp. 842–848. Abstract-EMBASE
| Abstract-MEDLINE