Nodular fasciitis: a case series unveiling novel and rare gene fusions, including two cases with aggressive clinical behavior

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216208%3A11140%2F25%3A10492761" target="_blank" >RIV/00216208:11140/25:10492761 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=v92xQXnFM5" target="_blank" >https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=v92xQXnFM5</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00428-025-04040-6" target="_blank" >10.1007/s00428-025-04040-6</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Nodular fasciitis: a case series unveiling novel and rare gene fusions, including two cases with aggressive clinical behavior

Original language description

Nodular fasciitis is a benign myofibroblastic tumor characterized by rapid growth and spontaneous regression. While nodular fasciitis is typically an indolent process, rare cases with benign morphologic features have developed metastases. Conversely, nodular fasciitis with malignant histologic features and benign clinical course have also been reported. In this study, we present seven nodular fasciitis cases with novel USP6 gene fusion partners, in addition to two cases with rare fusions that displayed aggressive clinical behavior. The cohort comprised five females and four males with a median age of 36 years (range 13-59). Tumors were located in the forearm (n = 3), thigh (n = 2), and shoulder, abdominal wall, chest wall, and oral cavity (one each), ranging from 1.4 to 24.0 cm in size (median, 2.2 cm). Except for the clinically aggressive cases, patients presented with painless masses of varying onset from days to months. Of the clinically aggressive cases, one patient presented with a slowly growing subfascial thigh/hip mass over nine years, leading to erosion of the femur and pelvis; the other presented with a painful subfascial thigh mass of several months&apos; duration. Histologically, all cases, including the clinically aggressive ones, showed conventional nodular fasciitis features without nuclear pleomorphism or atypical mitotic figures; one case with aggressive clinical behavior exhibited focal infarction-type necrosis. Break-apart FISH analysis using USP6 flanking probes failed to detect USP6 rearrangement in two cases (false negatives) and was inconclusive in one case. Next-generation RNA sequencing identified USP6 fusions in all cases. The clinically aggressive cases showed fusions with COL1A1 (exon 1) and PPP6R3 (exon 1), while novel fusions were identified in the remaining cases including EIF4A1 (exon 1), FILIP1L (exon 2), NF1 (exon 33), OMD (exon 1), PFN1 (exon 1), RLIM (exon 1), and SETD5 (exon 1). Six patients underwent surgical resection; three were managed conservatively, with two experiencing spontaneous tumor resolution. Of the clinically aggressive cases, one patient had progression of the tumor with erosion of the underlying bone, and the second patient developed local recurrence at 14 months and lung metastasis at 19 months, ultimately dying of disease at 22 months. The remaining patients showed no recurrence or metastasis. Our findings expand the spectrum of USP6 gene fusion partners in nodular fasciitis and, for the first time, report cases with conventional morphology exhibiting aggressive behavior, including death. These observations raise the question of whether a subset of deep lesions with conventional nodular fasciitis histology but unusual clinical features, such as large tumor size, represents malignant nodular fasciitis or alternatively a nodular fasciitis-like myofibroblastic sarcoma.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

30109 - Pathology

Project

—

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Virchows Archiv

ISSN

0945-6317

e-ISSN

1432-2307

Volume of the periodical

486

Issue of the periodical within the volume

6

Country of publishing house

DE - GERMANY

Number of pages

11

Pages from-to

1235-1245

UT code for WoS article

001414788000001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85217682601