NODULAR FASCIITIS IN THE PAROTID REGION OF A CHILD

Background. Nodular fasciitis is a common pathologic entity in the lim bs of adults but rare in the head and neck of children. It is defined by the World Health Organization as a benign and probably reactive fib roblastic growth extending as a solitary nodule from superficial fasci a into subcutaneous tissue. Treatment is local excision, and recurrenc e is rare. Method. Case Report Results. A 3.5-year-old boy was initial ly seen with a 1-year history of gradually enlarging but otherwise asy mptomatic right facial mass. On examination, a firm nodule was palpabl e anterior to the right ear, and facial movement was symmetrical. Comp uted tomography showed a rounded, well-defined solid mass continuous w ith the parotid fascia. The patient underwent superficial parotidectom y without complication. The pathology was reported as nodular fasciiti s, and the child has had no clinical recurrence over 2 years. Conclusi on. Benign lesions in this region in children may present similarly to malignancies but require much more-conservative treatment. (C) 1998 J ohn Wiley & Sons, Inc.