Cranial fasciitis in an 8-year-old boy: clinical and histopathologic features.

Cranial fasciitis is an uncommon benign disorder characterized by a fibroblast-like cell proliferation, observed almost exclusively in children. Clinically, it manifests as a rapidly growing, solitary nodule in the head or neck area. Underlying bone involvement (cranial cortical erosion) is frequently detected. Histopathologic analysis allows differentiation between cranial fasciitis and fibrohistiocytic or even sarcomatous lesions observed in children. Cranial fasciitis is considered to be a reactive, non-neoplastic disorder and is usually cured by a simple excision. An increased awareness of the clinical and histopathologic characteristics of this entity seems important to establish the diagnosis, to adopt an adequate, conservative treatment and to avoid unnecessarily aggressive procedures.