A welcome surprise: nodular fasciitis presenting as soft tissue sarcoma

Abstract

A 15-year-old boy presented with a growing mass on the anterior chest wall. History, clinical examination, and preoperative imaging studies were consistent with soft tissue sarcoma. He underwent open biopsy, and the intraoperative pathology diagnosis of nodular fasciitis resulted in performance of a lesional excision, rather than a potentially morbid wide resection. Nodular fasciitis is a rare but important soft tissue lesion, which can be easily confused with sarcoma. The possibility of benign etiologies for soft tissue masses should be considered when planning surgical options, even when preoperative imaging studies suggest more aggressive lesions.