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Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2008;134(8):898.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Diagnosis: Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) of the scalp

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans is a rare, malignant, fibrous histiocytic tumor that is characterized by local infiltrative growth in the dermis of the skin and subcutaneous fat, spreading along the connective tissue. The exact type of dermal mesenchymal cell from which this tumor arises is still unclear, but evidence points toward an origin from either fibroblasts or dendritic cells.¹ Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans accounts for fewer than 5% of adult soft tissue sarcomas and fewer than 1% of all malignant tumors of the head and neck.^2-3

There are several clinical characteristics that have been reported in DFSP. The median age at presentation is 39 to 45 years.⁴ It affects men more commonly than women.^{3, 5} A slow-growing, painless, firm, solitary subcutaneous nodule is the classic presentation in the head and neck region.^{2, 5} The majority of DFSPs are smaller than 5 cm in maximum diameter and are superficial in nature. One study involving 159 patients found . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2008;134(8):897.
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