Treatment of pseudotumors with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs

Large inflammatory pseudotumors (IPT) traditionally are managed with extens ive surgical resection. This approach, which often is associated with signi ficant morbidity, has been deemed necessary because of the uncertainty of d iagnosis, symptomatology, and involvement of vital structures, Also, there is a lack of other reliable therapy for this clinically aggressive yet hist ologically benign disease characterized by an overreactive inflammatory res ponse. The authors treated 2 cases of abdominal IPT with nonsteroidal antii nflammatory drug (NSAID) with successful results. After a diagnosis of IPT on tumor biopsy, an NSAID trial can confirm the diagnosis and treat the dis ease by causing tumor shrinkage and eventual resolution. Excision remains i ndicated in easily resectable tumors and in nonresponders to NSAID therapy. Copyright (C) 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company.