Lipofibromatosis-like neural tumor of the foot: A case study

Abstract

Lipofibromatosis-like neural tumors (LPF-NTs) are a rare form of mesenchymal tumors generally found in children and young adults¹. LPF-NTs are a novel tumor type, only recently identified and named with the first case being <10 years ago². These tumors tend to occur in the distal extremities, presenting as slow-growing benign non-metastatic masses. They display a lipofibromatosis-like structure with an immunophenotype positive for CD34/S100 and NTRK1 gene abnormalities². Due to LPF-NTs rarity and a lack of pain until significant mass expansion, they are often challenging to diagnose making treatment options more challenging³. Conservative treatment will not stop tumor growth or pain long term, causing a need for surgical excision. LPF-NTs, if improperly excised, demonstrate a high rate of local recurrence². The rarity and diagnostic difficulty of LPF-NTs complicate patient care and increase the risk of misdiagnosis. This case report details a successful surgical removal of an LPF-NT and reviews the literature to improve recognition, diagnosis, and treatment by explicitly focusing on key characteristics, common diagnostic failures, and optimal treatment approaches for an LPF-NT located in the foot.