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Shedding light on inflammatory pseudotumor in children: spotlight on inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor

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Abstract

Inflammatory pseudotumor is a generic term used to designate a heterogeneous group of inflammatory mass-forming lesions histologically characterized by myofibroblastic proliferation with chronic inflammatory infiltrate. Inflammatory pseudotumor is multifactorial in etiology and generally benign, but it is often mistaken for malignancy given its aggressive appearance. It can occur throughout the body and is seen in all age groups. Inflammatory pseudotumor has been described in the literature by many organ-specific names, resulting in confusion. Recently within this generic category of inflammatory pseudotumor, inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor has emerged as a distinct entity and is now recognized as a fibroblastic/myofibroblastic neoplasm with intermediate biological potential and occurring mostly in children. We present interesting pediatric cases of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors given this entity’s tendency to occur in children. Familiarity and knowledge of the imaging features of inflammatory pseudotumor can help in making an accurate diagnosis, thereby avoiding unnecessary radical surgery.

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Acknowledgments

This report was presented as an educational exhibit at the Radiological Society of North America 2013 meeting.

Conflicts of interest

Dr. M.B. McCarville received financial support from GE Healthcare.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, 200 Hawkins Drive, Room 3970 JPP, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA

    Lillian M. Lai, Simon C. S. Kao, Toshio Moritani, Eve Clark, Kousei Ishigami & Yutaka Sato

  2. Department of Radiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA

    M. Beth McCarville

  3. Department of Pathology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, USA

    Patricia Kirby

  4. Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA

    Armita Bahrami

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  1. Lillian M. Lai
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  2. M. Beth McCarville
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  3. Patricia Kirby
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  4. Simon C. S. Kao
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  9. Yutaka Sato
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Correspondence to Lillian M. Lai.

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Lai, L.M., McCarville, M.B., Kirby, P. et al. Shedding light on inflammatory pseudotumor in children: spotlight on inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor. Pediatr Radiol 45, 1738–1752 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-015-3360-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-015-3360-6

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