A huge nodular fasciitis in parapharygneal space in a 7-year-old girl: a case report and review of literature.

Nodular fasciitis (NF) is a benign and reactive fibroblastic growth extending from the superficial fascia into the subcutaneous tissue or muscle, with a morbidity of less than 20% in children. We report a case of a 7-year-old girl presented with a 3-month history of snore and mouth breathing. Image findings demonstrated a large soft-tissue mass in the right parapharyngeal space. The lesion was successfully eradicated by surgical removal. Pathological analysis established NF as the final diagnosis. Histopathological findings were notable for a reactive spindle-cell process composed of proliferative fibroblasts with extravasated red blood cells and interstitial edema. Immunohistochemical stains showed that the lesional cells were positive for smooth muscle actin (SMA), muscle-specific actin (HHF35), and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), and negative for S100 protein. No clinical evidence of recurrence was noticed after 2 months of follow-up. Being the first report of NF in the parapharyngeal space of a child, this rare pediatric case points out the importance for otolaryngologists to keep NF in mind for differential diagnosis to avoid unnecessary wide resection.