Angiofibrolipoma of the Tendon Sheath

Background: Lipoma is a benign tumor composed of mature white adipocytes and it is the most common soft tissue mesenchymal neoplasm. It is well separated from the surrounding tissues by a thin fibrous capsule. Lipomas occur in any part of the body that has fat tissues. 13% of such tumors are seen in the head and neck region. Angiofibrolipoma is a variant of lipoma with a prominent vascular component: Angiofibrolipoma is a subtype of lipoma composed of fibrocytes, capillaries and mature adipocytes. These tumors occur in the forearm, followed by trunk and in the extremities of young individuals. Its occurrence is very rare in the head and neck region. They are benign tumors that cause symptoms depending on their size and location. It is important to bear in mind this clinical entity in the differential diagnosis of the swellings that arise in relation to the tendon sheath. Patient and method: A patient with a recurrent swelling in the right wrist region was taken up for surgery with a clinical diagnosis of a fibrous tumor. Result: Histopathological diagnosis revealed the tumor as a rare variant of lipoma. Conclusion: This report highlights the fact that angiofibrolipoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of swellings in different regions of the body. Keywords: Angiofibrolipoma, Tendon sheath, Synovial membrane, Soft tissue tumors.