Fibrous tissue tumours.

Thirty-three patients, ranging in age from newborn to 12 years, with fibrous tissue tumours, were treated at the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street, London, from 1970 to 1984. Seven infants presented with tumours at birth. In 42% of cases, the tumour was noted during the 1st year of life. The anatomical distribution of the lesions was: upper extremity 6, lower extremity 5, head and neck 10, trunk 6, thoracic cavity 2 (heart 1), abdominal cavity 4 (pelvis, bladder, small bowel mesentery, and canal). Three patients had multiple tumours. Seven of the tumours were classified as sarcomas. Complete excision was possible in 28 patients, following initial biopsy in six patients of whom three were treated preoperatively with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. There were two deaths, one in an infant with a huge resectable pelvic tumour and the other in a child with cardiac fibroma. Recurrences occurred in 14 patients (48%), in nine of whom the recurrences were multiple. The mean time interval to recurrence was 13.8 months.