Clinicopathologic Features and Surgical Treatment of Abdominal Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor

Objective  To investigate the clinicopathologic features, diagnosis and surgical treatment of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT).

Methods  A retrospective clinical analysis was made in 13 cases of IMT confirmed pathologically and admitted from January 2008 to December 2012 in the Cancer Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

Results  Eight females and five males with a median age of 24 years (range: 15-57 years) were enrolled. The clinical presentation of IMT was non-specific and insufficient to establish a diagnosis. The patients in this series presented with a palpable abdominal mass, abdominal discomfort, fever, and weight loss. Surgical treatment was performed on all patients. The immunohistochemical analyses revealed that the positive incidences for SMA, MSA, and Vim were 100% (13/13), 100% (13/13), and 100% (13/13) respectively. During the follow-up period of 31-76 months (median: 44 months), one patient underwent reoperation for recurrence 13 months after the first operation, and the other 12 patients showed no metastasis or recurrence.

Conclusion  Abdominal IMT is rare and with no specific clinical manifestation. The diagnosis of IMT remains difficult and mainly relies on pathological findings. SMA, MSA, and Vim are helpful in the diagnostic process. Surgical resection is the optimal treatment for tumors suspected of IMT, and the prognosis is favorable.