Cryosurgery is the use of extreme cold in surgery to destroy abnormal or diseased tissue; thus, it is the surgical application of cryoablation. Cryosurgery has been historically used to treat a number of diseases and disorders, especially a variety of benign and malignant skin conditions.
Fibromas are benign tumors that are composed of fibrous or connective tissue. They can grow in all organs, arising from mesenchyme tissue. The term "fibroblastic" or "fibromatous" is used to describe tumors of the fibrous connective tissue. When the term fibroma is used without modifier, it is usually considered benign, with the term fibrosarcoma reserved for malignant tumors.
A benign tumor is a mass of cells (tumor) that does not invade neighboring tissue or metastasize. Compared to malignant (cancerous) tumors, benign tumors generally have a slower growth rate. Benign tumors have relatively well differentiated cells. They are often surrounded by an outer surface or stay contained within the epithelium. Common examples of benign tumors include moles and uterine fibroids.
A glomus tumor is a rare neoplasm arising from the glomus body and mainly found under the nail, on the fingertip or in the foot. They account for less than 2% of all soft tissue tumors. The majority of glomus tumors are benign, but they can also show malignant features. Glomus tumors were first described by Hoyer in 1877 while the first complete clinical description was given by Masson in 1924.
Hemangioendotheliomas are a family of vascular neoplasms of intermediate malignancy.
Granular cell tumor is a tumor that can develop on any skin or mucosal surface, but occurs on the tongue 40% of the time.
An ameloblastic fibroma is a fibroma of the ameloblastic tissue, that is, an odontogenic tumor arising from the enamel organ or dental lamina. It may be either truly neoplastic or merely hamartomatous. In neoplastic cases, it may be labeled an ameloblastic fibrosarcoma in accord with the terminological distinction that reserves the word fibroma for benign tumors and assigns the word fibrosarcoma to malignant ones. It is more common in the first and second decades of life, when odontogenesis is ongoing, than in later decades. In 50% of cases an unerupted tooth is involved.
Angiofibroma (AGF) is a descriptive term for a wide range of benign skin or mucous membrane lesions in which individuals have:
- benign papules, i.e. pinhead-sized elevations that lack visible evidence of containing fluid;
- nodules, i.e. small firm lumps usually >0.1 cm in diameter; and/or
- tumors, i.e. masses often regarded as ~0.8 cm or larger.
Angioleiomyoma of the skin is thought to arise from vascular smooth muscle, and is generally acquired. Angioleiomyomas appear as small, firm, movable, slow growing subcutaneous nodules. Pain is a common symptom. They are most commonly seen on the extremities. The cause of angioleiomyoma is unknown.
Aponeurotic fibroma, also known as calcifying aponeurotic fibroma, and juvenile aponeurotic fibroma is characterized by a lesion that usually presents as a painless, solitary, deep fibrous nodule, often adherent to tendon, fascia, or periosteum, on the hands and feet. The World Health Organization in 2020 reclassified aponeurotic fibroma nodules as a specific benign type of the fibroblastic and myofibroblastic tumors. Aponeurotic fibromas are diagnosed based on histopathology and treated by surgical excision. They are more common in males than females.
Infantile digital fibromatosis (IDF), also termed inclusion body fibromatosis, Reye tumor, or Reye's tumor, usually occurs as a single, small, asymptomatic, nodule in the dermis on a finger or toe of infants and young children. IMF is a rare disorder with approximately 200 cases reported in the medical literature as of 2021. The World Health Organization in 2020 classified these nodules as a specific benign tumor type in the category of fibroblastic and myofibroblastic tumors. IDF was first described by the Australian pathologist, Douglas Reye, in 1965.
Fibrous hamartoma of infancy (FHI) is a rare, typically painless, benign tumor that develops in the subcutaneous tissues of the axilla, arms, external genitalia, or, less commonly, various other areas. It is diagnosed in children who are usually less than 2 years old or, in up to 20% of cases, develops in utero and is diagnosed in an infant at birth.
Collagenous fibroma, also known as desmoplastic fibroblastoma, is a slow-growing, deep-set, benign fibrous tumor, usually located in the deep subcutis, fascia, aponeurosis, or skeletal muscle of the extremities, limb girdles, or head and neck regions. The World Health Organization in 2020 reclassified desmoplastic fibroblastoma/collagenous fibroma as a specific benign tumor type within the broad category of fibroblastic and myofibroblastic tumors.
A Neurothekeoma (NT) is a type of rare benign cutaneous tumor that usually develops on the head and neck. They often occur in the second and early third decades of life and tend to afflict women more frequently than men. First described by Richard L Gallager and Elson B. Helwig, who proposed the term in order to reflect the presumed origin of the lesion from nerve sheath. Microscopically, the lesions described closely resembled the tumor, "nerve sheath myxoma (NSM)", an entity first described by Harkin and Reed. The latter had, through the years, been variously described as bizarre cutaneous neurofibroma, myxoma of nerve sheath, and pacinian neurofibroma.
Koenen's tumor (KT), also commonly termed periungual angiofibroma, is a subtype of the angiofibromas. Angiofibromas are benign papule, nodule, and/or tumor lesions that are separated into various subtypes based primarily on the characteristic locations of their lesions. KTs are angiofibromas that develop in and under the toenails and/or fingernails. KTs were once considered as the same as another subtype of the angiofibromas viz., acral angiofibromas. While the literature may still sometimes regard KTs as acral angiofibromas, acral angiofibromas are characteristically located in areas close to but not in the toenails and fingernails as well as in the soles of the feet and palms of the hands. KTs are here regarded as distinct from acral angiofibromas.
A superficial acral fibromyxoma is a type of myxoma and is a rare cutaneous condition characterized by a mesenchymal neoplasm that typically occurs on the digits of middle-aged adults.
Nuchal-type fibroma is a rare benign proliferation involving the dermis and subcutaneous tissues, that is a collection of dense, hypocellular bundles of collagen with entrapped adipocytes and increased numbers of small nerves. It is no longer called a nuchal fibroma, but instead a "nuchal-type fibroma" since it develops in other anatomic sites. There is no known etiology. The World Health Organization in 2020 classified nuchal fibromas as a specific tumor form in the category of benign fibroblastic and myofibroblastic tumors.
Mammary-type myofibroblastoma (MFB), also named mammary and extramammary myofibroblastoma, was first termed myofibrolastoma of the breast, or, more simply, either mammary myofibroblastoma (MMFB) or just myofibroblastoma. The change in this terminology occurred because the initial 1987 study and many subsequent studies found this tumor only in breast tissue. However, a 2001 study followed by numerous reports found tumors with the microscopic histopathology and other key features of mammary MFB in a wide range of organs and tissues. Further complicating the issue, early studies on MFB classified it as one of various types of spindle cell tumors that, except for MFB, were ill-defined. These other tumors, which have often been named interchangeably in different reports, are: myelofibroblastoma, benign spindle cell tumor, fibroma, spindle cell lipoma, myogenic stromal tumor, and solitary stromal tumor. Finally, studies suggest that spindle cell lipoma and cellular angiofibroma are variants of MFB. Here, the latter two tumors are tentatively classified as MFB variants but otherwise MFB is described as it is more strictly defined in most recent publications. The World Health Organization in 2020 classified mammary type myofibroblastoma tumors and myofibroblastoma tumors as separate tumor forms within the category of fibroblastic and myofibroblastic tumors.
Fibroblastic and myofibroblastic tumors (FMTs) develop from the mesenchymal stem cells which differentiate into fibroblasts and/or the myocytes/myoblasts that differentiate into muscle cells. FMTs are a heterogeneous group of soft tissue neoplasms. The World Health Organization (2020) defined tumors as being FMTs based on their morphology and, more importantly, newly discovered abnormalities in the expression levels of key gene products made by these tumors' neoplastic cells. Histopathologically, FMTs consist of neoplastic connective tissue cells which have differented into cells that have microscopic appearances resembling fibroblasts and/or myofibroblasts. The fibroblastic cells are characterized as spindle-shaped cells with inconspicuous nucleoli that express vimentin, an intracellular protein typically found in mesenchymal cells, and CD34, a cell surface membrane glycoprotein. Myofibroblastic cells are plumper with more abundant cytoplasm and more prominent nucleoli; they express smooth muscle marker proteins such as smooth muscle actins, desmin, and caldesmon. The World Health Organization further classified FMTs into four tumor forms based on their varying levels of aggressiveness: benign, intermediate, intermediate, and malignant.
Gardner fibroma (GF) is a benign fibroblastic tumor. GF tumors typically develop in the dermis and adjacent subcutaneous tissue lying just below the dermis. These tumors typically occur on the back, abdomen, and other superficial sites but in rare cases have been diagnoses in internal sites such as the retroperitoneum and around the large blood vessels in the upper thoracic cavity. The World Health Organization, 2020, classified Gardner fibroma as a benign tumor in the category of fibroblastic and myofibroblastic tumors.
