Cellular angiofibroma
Cellular angiofibroma (CAF) is a rare, benign tumor of superficial soft tissues that was first described by M. R. Nucci et al. in 1997. These tumors occur predominantly in the distal parts of the female and male reproductive systems, i.e. in the vulva-vaginal and inguinal-scrotal areas, respectively, or, less commonly, in various other superficial soft tissue areas throughout the body. CAF tumors develop exclusively in adults who typically are more than 30 years old.
| Cellular angiofibroma | |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Gynecology, Urology, Dermatology, Pathology, General surgery |
| Symptoms | Growth of a painless, soft tissue tumor in vulva-vaginal, inguinal-scrotal, or other areas |
| Complications | Extremely rare recurrence after surgical removal |
| Usual onset | Adults >30 years old |
| Types | Benign tumor |
| Causes | Unknown |
| Treatment | Surgical resection |
| Prognosis | Excellent |
| Frequency | Rare |
| Deaths | None |
CAF tumors are composed of bland mesenchymal spindle-shaped cells in an edematous (i.e. abnormally swollen with fluid) to fiber-laded connective tissue background. Mesenchymal cells are cells in the cell lineage that includes fibroblasts, adipocytes (i.e. fat cells), macrophages, mast cells, leucocytes, and the precursor cells which mature into these cell types. In 2020, the World Health Organization classified cellular angiofibroma tumors in the category of benign fibroblastic and myofibroblastic tumors.
CAF tumors rarely recur after surgical removal and do not metastasize to distant tissues. Accordingly, surgical resection is the commonly performed and current standard for treating these tumors.