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Fibrolipomatous hamartoma of nerve. A clinicopathologic analysis of 26
cases. Am J Surg
Pathol. 1985 Jan;9(1):7-14.
Nineteen cases of
fibrolipomatous hamartoma of nerve without macrodactyly and seven cases with
macrodactyly are discussed. Twenty-five involved the hand, wrist, palm, and
finger, and one case involved the foot. Nineteen patients had isolated
fibrofatty enlargement of nerve, while seven had macrodactyly in addition to
the peripheral nerve changes. Involved nerves included the median nerve,
ulnar nerve, an unidentified nerve near the elbow, and a nerve on the dorsum
of the foot. Four of nine patients with neurologic symptoms of pain or
paresthesias had physical findings compatible with compression neuropathy,
and two others were described as having carpal tunnel syndrome. Most
patients had been aware of a mass for several years. Microscopically, the
lesion was characterized by fibrofatty enlargement of nerve with massive
epineural and perineural fibrosis. In two of the cases with macrodactyly,
the fibrofatty enlargement of the nerve was associated with overgrowth of
bone and the surrounding subcutaneous tissues. In one case, the perineural
fibrosis was associated with metaplastic bone. The histogenesis of
fibrofatty overgrowth of nerve has been disputed. Mature fat cells have been
described within the normal nerve sheath, and it is thought that
proliferation of these cells leads to the fatty enlargement of the nerve and
its coverings. The relationship of these neural changes to the development
of macrodactyly remains controversial. Follow-up in 18 patients (69%)
reveals a benign course following biopsy, limited excision, or division of
the flexor retinaculum in the wrist. |