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CASE REPORT article

Front. Oncol.
Sec. Skin Cancer
Volume 14 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1465130
This article is part of the Research Topic Management of Rare Oncological Cases View all 39 articles

Malignant Granular Cell Tumor of Chest Wall: a Case Report

Provisionally accepted
  • University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Granular Cell Tumors (GCTs), also known as Abrikossoff tumors, are rare neoplasms that typically originate from Schwann cells. These tumors most commonly occur in the head and neck region, particularly the tongue. While GCTs are generally benign, less than 2% of cases exhibit aggressive biological features such as rapid growth, high recurrence rates, and metastasis. In this report, we present a rare case of a Malignant Granular Cell Tumor (MGCT) of the chest wall, which posed significant challenges in both characterization and management. Case Presentation: A fifty-year-old man underwent an ultrasound examination for a nodular mass on his right chest wall. The ultrasound revealed a firm, hard mass measuring 2 cm x 2 cm with an uncertain diagnosis. A fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) guided by ultrasound was performed, resulting in a diagnosis of Abrikossoff tumor. The patient subsequently underwent radical excision of the mass, which confirmed the initial diagnosis. Nine months after surgery, a new mass with similar characteristics was detected during a physical examination. The patient underwent a second surgery, but this time the histopathological examination was negative for neoplastic cells. However, another mass appeared at the same site as the previous surgical excision. A CT scan and MRI of the right chest wall confirmed the presence of a 2 cm x 2 cm nodular mass. The patient then underwent a deeper excision. Histomorphological and immunohistochemical assessments confirmed the recurrence of MGCT.This case highlights the malignant potential of GCTs. The numerous local recurrences necessitated three surgeries and additional procedures. The aggressive nature of this pathology underscores the complexity of managing these tumors, which are poorly understood and lack proven post-operative strategies for controlling local and distant disease.

    Keywords: Rare tumor, skin tumor, Granular cell tumor (Abrikosov tumor), Recurrent granular cell tumor, multidiscipliary team

    Received: 15 Jul 2024; Accepted: 03 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Flauto, Servetto, Bianco and Formisano. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Luigi Formisano, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy

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