Giant-cell fibroblastoma

Giant cell fibroblastoma (GCF) is a rare type of soft-tissue tumor marked by painless nodules in the dermis (the inner layer of the two main layers of tissue that make up the skin) and subcutaneous (beneath the skin) tissue. These tumors may come back after surgery, but they do not spread to other parts of the body. They occur mostly in boys. GCF tumor tissues consist of bland spindle-shaped or stellate-shaped cells interspersed among multinucleated giant cells.

GCF tumors are closely related to dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) and dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, fibrosarcomatous (DFSP-FS) (also termed fibrosarcomatous dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans) tumors. The World Health Organization (2020) classified these three tumors as different tumors in the category of fibroblastic and myofibroblastic tumors with GCF and DFSP sub-classified as benign but aggressive tumors and DFSP-FS subclassified as a rarely metastasizing tumor. However, The three tumor types may contain areas that have a microscopic histopathological appearance similar to one of the other types. Furthermore, following their surgical resection GCF tumors may recur as DFSP tumors and vice versa and DFSP tumors may recur as DFSP-FS tumors. CGF, DFSP, and DFSP-FS have been regarded as an increasingly aggressive spectrum of related tumors.

Giant cell fibroblastoma tumors are typically treated by surgical resection but have a very high rate of recurrence at the sites of their resection, particularly in cases where all of the tumor has not been removed. Accordingly, wide, complete tumor resections are the recommended treatment for them.