Fibromatosis: Definition, and Classification of Fibromatosis

fibromatosis causes and treatment

It is a general term that refers to a group of diseases featuring the proliferation of fibroma.

Definition

A fibroma is a soft tissue benign tumor or growth made of fibrous or connective tissue.

The term “Fibromatosis” refers to the group of conditions that consists of the development of multiple of these tumor-like growths anywhere in the body.

Even though such fibrous overgrowths are non-cancerous, they can become aggressive and negatively affect people who suffer from Fibromatosis.

Classification of Fibromatosis

Some people tend to classify the Fibromatosis in two types: superficial (fascial), and deep (musculoaponeurotic).

Fascial Fibromatoses

These conditions are far from comfortable, but they’re not severe diseases.

They usually feature nodular formations made of unusual fibroblasts very rich in dense collagen. Some studies conclude that such cells are myofibroblasts.

Palmar Fibromatosis, also known as Dupuytren Contracture, refers to a nodular fibroblastic proliferation in the hand which causes the tissue to become abnormally thick, contracting the fingers inwards.

In time, the affected tissue, called the palmar fascia, tightens so much that a patient could gradually lose the ability to grip or hold objects.

Plantar fibromatosis, also known as Ledderhose Disease, is a rare condition that features the development of flattened nodules on the soles of the feet.

These growths on the plantar fascia are non-cancerous, but they can cause pain or discomfort for people who suffer from this condition any time they try to walk.

Penile fibromatosis, also known as Peyronie’s Disease, is another rare condition which causes the growth of thick fibrous plaques on the erectile tissue.

This disease can make an erection to become painful or cause deformations of the male genitalia.

Knuckles Pads, also known as Garrod Pads or Dorsal Dupuytren Nodules, features well-defined keratotic growths and nodules over the finger joints and the back surface of the hand.

Dermatofibroma, also known as Cutaneous Fibrous Histiocytoma, is a common condition that consists of the growth of benign fibrous nodules over the skin of the lower legs.

Elastofibroma is a rare benign growth that, more often than not, appears in the back, just below the scapula. Medical experts are still trying to figure out what causes this condition.

Sporadic Angiofibroma refers to a benign papule that grows in the face; it’s a small, dome-shaped, and shiny lesion.

Sometimes this condition gets misdiagnosed as melanocytic naevus, wart, or small nodular basal cell carcinoma.

Around 25% of the cases of Fascial Fibromatoses have the conditions disappearing over time without the need for any treatment.

But when medical experts consider necessary to treat patients, they tend to use anti-inflammatory medication, orthotics, and physical therapy.

Musculoaponeurotic Fibromatoses

Even though the Fibromatosis in this category usually affects people between 20-40 years of age, it can still appear in any point of a patient’s life.

Desmoid Tumours, also known as aggressive fibromatoses, are bland fibrous neoplasms.

Unlike a fatty tumor (lipoma) that grows under the skin, this growth develops in the fibrous tissue that makes up tendons and ligaments.

Medical experts usually consider these tumors to be benign. But, in some cases, they grow so fast that they can become a significant and possibly deadly health issue.

They can grow almost anywhere in the body, but it is a rare condition that only affects each 2 to 4 persons out of one million people.

Some doctors classify Desmoid Tumours into three types, even though they tend to share macroscopic and microscopic traits. They’re the ones listed here below:

  • Extra-abdominal Desmoid Tumor: this type of growth is highly aggressive, and it usually appears on the shoulder and buttock, as well as the arm, forearm, and the back of the thigh and knee.
  • Abdominal Desmoid Tumor: is a benign growth, with unpredictable behavior, that occurs in the abdominal wall.
  • Intra-abdominal Desmoid Tumor: it’s a type of growth that affects the abdominal organs. They often appear in the mesentery or the pelvic wall. Its possible cause may be genetic mutations or some specific inherited diseases.

This kind of tumor not only can potentially deform the affected area but also cause remarkable pain. Although doctors can treat most, if not all, of this conditions.

Some of these growths had responded well to treated with tamoxifen. In other cases, chemotherapy and radiation are efficient means to deal with these tumors.