[A case of relapsing mesenchymatous tumour of the abdominal wall with metastases (author's transl)].

It is classical to consider desmoid tumours as an entity with only a local prognosis, conditioned by the frequency of relapses. In this respect, they are different from other mesenchymatous tumours, fibrosarcomas in particular which have a poorer prognosis. The authors report the case of a 23 years old man with a tumour of the abdominal wall, which in the early stages resembled a desmoid tumour, but the development of metastases suggested a sarcoma. This observation seems to make doubtful the distinction between desmoid tumour and fibrosarcoma, and thus the prognosis of tumours with a desmoid appearance. Under these conditions, this term should only be used for descriptive purposes and has no prognostic value.