Nodular Fasciitis: Sonographic-Pathologic Correlation

Abstract

We evaluated nodular fasciitis (NF) in 19 patients, focusing on the correlation between its sonographic and histopathologic features. Sonograms were retrospectively reviewed, and the location, shape, margin, echogenicity, echogenic rim, peripheral hyper-echoic nodules, posterior enhancement and vascularity of the lesions were recorded. In the histopathologic analysis, three patterns-infiltrating, pushing border and well circumscribed-were identified, and culture-like tissue centers were classified according to the distribution of focal keloid-like collagen bundles: uneven or even. For the sonographic-pathologic correlation, most NF cases were inhomogeneously hypo-echoic and had an echogenic rim, with an infiltrating or pushing border pattern. In addition, all NF cases with the infiltrating pattern were observed to have peripheral hyper-echoic nodules in sonograms. Thus, echogenic rims may be associated with the peripheral adipose tissues in infiltrating pattern, and the degree of infiltration may be associated with specific sonographic features of NF.

Keywords: Echogenic rim; Histopathology; Nodular fasciitis; Ultrasound.