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Silica reaction simulating fibrous histiocytoma
Author(s) -
Weiss Sharon W.,
Enzinger F. M.,
Johnson F. B.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197812)42:6<2738::aid-cncr2820420632>3.0.co;2-d
Subject(s) - medicine , histiocyte , neoplasm , hernia , pathology , radiology , anatomy
An unusual foreign body reaction to silica (quartz), resembling fibrous histiocytoma, is described in 7 patients (age range 22 to 71 years). These lesions occurred in the inguinal region (4 cases) or the abdominal wall (3 cases), and in 5 instances were associated with a history of injection at the same site 10 to 41 years previously. Most commonly the injection consisted of the administration of a sclerosing agent for the repair of a hernia. Microscopically these lesions contained broad sheets of histiocytes separated by bands or concentrically lamellated nodules of collagen. Intra‐ and extra‐cellular birefringent crystals, identified by x‐ray diffraction as silica (quartz), were present in all cases and served to distinguish this process from a true neoplasm. Although the injection therapy for hernia is now obsolete, it was formerly practiced in the United States with a variety of sclerosing agents including silica (quartz). Since these lesions are often confused with a benign or malignant fibrous histiocytoma it is recommended that fibro‐histiocytic lesions associated with a previous hernia or injection at the same site be examined for the presence of silica. Cancer 42:2738–2743, 1978.