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Giant pilomatrixoma looks like a malignant soft tissue tumor: a case report

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Abstract

Pilomatrixoma is a skin appendage tumor, which is manifested as a firm, solitary lesion. It usually measures 0.5–3.0 cm in diameter and is typically found in young people. A 31-year-old woman presented with a giant tumor of the upper dorsal region. On preoperative examination, the tumor seemed to be a malignant soft tissue tumor. It was totally excised, and the resultant defect was repaired with a latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flap. On pathological examination, the tumor was confined to the subcutaneous layer and was composed of basophilic and shadow cells. Signs of atypia in basophilic cells present in the tumor were minimal. The tumor was consequently diagnosed as benign pilomatrixoma. The number of reported cases of pilomatrixoma larger than 10 cm in diameter is very small. This case is therefore presented as a rare case of pilomatrixoma.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Tokyo-Rinkai Hospital, 1-4-2 Rinkaicho, Edogawa-ku, Tokyo, 134-0086, Japan

    Kohei Inami

  2. Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Toho University Ohasi Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan

    Kiyoshi Onishi

  3. Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Toho University Omori Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan

    Yu Maruyama

Authors
  1. Kohei Inami
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  2. Kiyoshi Onishi
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  3. Yu Maruyama
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kohei Inami.

Additional information

This article was presented at the 47th Scientific Meeting of the Japan Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, April 2004, Tokyo, Japan.

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Inami, K., Onishi, K. & Maruyama, Y. Giant pilomatrixoma looks like a malignant soft tissue tumor: a case report. Eur J Plast Surg 28, 525–528 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00238-005-0012-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00238-005-0012-3

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