Abstract:

Neurofibroma is the most prevalent benign peripheral nerve sheath tumor that is subdivided into localized, diffuse, and plexiform subtypes. Approximately 90% of neurofibroma cases are identified as localized neurofibromas and tend to be sporadic in etiology. However, on rare occasions, neurofibroma may present as diffuse neurofibroma located on the head, neck, and trunk. Diffuse neurofibroma has a predilection for children and young adults and has an equal prevalence in the male and female sex. Underlying characteristics include an ill-defined, indurated, and thickened lesion of the skin that invades underlying subcutaneous tissue. This is a unique case of diffuse neurofibroma in a 45-year-old Caucasian female who presented with a gradually enlarging subcutaneous mass on the scalp for 12 years that insidiously became associated with debilitating headaches. Although diffuse neurofibroma is less prevalent than localized neurofibroma in middle-aged populations, it is an important differential diagnosis in individuals with an infiltrative subcutaneous nodule on the scalp. Due to the variable clinical presentations of diffuse neurofibroma, it is essential to diagnose diffuse neurofibroma by its characteristic histopathological findings.

Financial Disclosure:
No current or relevant financial relationships exist.

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Michelle Anthony, BS

Biography