Intestinal congenital/infantile fibrosarcoma: a new clinico-pathological entity?

Pediatr Surg Int. 2015 Apr;31(4):375-9. doi: 10.1007/s00383-015-3670-7. Epub 2015 Feb 5.

Abstract

Congenital/infantile fibrosarcoma (IFS) is a relatively rare form of fibrosarcoma diagnosed at birth or during early years of life and that differs from its adult counterpart because of a more favorable behavior. IFS is also known as cellular congenital mesoblastic nephroma, when it affects the kidney and is often but not always characterized by the ETV6-NTRK3 fusion transcript. We report herein the first series of an exceptional tumor of the small intestine occurring in newborns. The four patients shared a stereotyped clinico-pathological presentation with early and acute onset, intestinal perforation, and an infiltration by a highly cellular spindle cell tumor within the dilated intestinal wall exhibiting pathologic features typical of IFS. Molecular studies for the ETV6-NTRK3 translocation were negative in the three cases tested. Patients were treated by surgical wide resection alone and are alive and well (follow-up: 36 months-25 years). Thus, this new clinico-pathological entity, even with lack of documented evidence of the ETV6-NTRK3 translocation, should be included in the differential diagnosis of congenital bowel perforation or obstruction and may represent an intestinal counterpart of IFS.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Female
  • Fibrosarcoma / congenital*
  • Fibrosarcoma / pathology
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Intestinal Neoplasms / congenital*
  • Intestinal Neoplasms / pathology
  • Intestine, Small / pathology*
  • Male