Nodular fasciitis is a rare type of noncancerous soft tissue tumor which forms in fascia.
The fascia is the connective tissue that surrounds muscles, bones and organs.
Nodular fasciitis resembles malignant soft tissue tumors like sarcomas but they are not sarcoma.
The lump or nodule with nodular fasciitis will most often go away with minimal or even no treatment although some people with nodular fasciitis need surgery.
The pathogenesis of nodular fasciitis is unclear, but these lesions frequently are associated with a history of trauma to the affected region.
Nodular fasciitis could be caused by a local inflammatory reaction in the fibrous connective tissue.
Diagnosis of nodular fasciitis is a challenge because it's similar to some malignant tumors.
It's also very rare.
It represents only 0.025 percent of all tumor cases.
Nodular fasciitis (NF) is a rapidly growing, self-limiting, subcutaneous nodular cytologic exuberant fibroblastic/myofibroblastic proliferation prone to cytological misdiagnosis.
A sarcoma with a mitotic rate approximating that of nodular fasciitis usually has a greater degree of pleomorphism.
Fibromatosis has a longer clinical history, is usually larger, has a much more infiltrative growth pattern, is more fibrous, and has a more consistent architectural pattern.
Nodular fasciitis rarely causes problems.
The lump may go away without treatment or after minor treatment like steroid injections.
But you may need surgery to remove it if you have pain or the growth presses against a nerve.