Superficial Angiomyxoma of the Wrist: Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

Background/Aim: Superficial angiomyxoma (SAM) is a rare benign soft-tissue tumor that usually occurs in the trunk, head and neck, and lower extremity of middle-aged adults. Herein, we describe an unusual case of SAM of the wrist, which was initially diagnosed as a ganglion cyst on imaging. Case Report: The patient was a 71-year-old man with no history of trauma who presented with a 2-year history of a palpable mass in the left wrist. Physical examination revealed a 2.5-cm, elastic hard, mobile, nontender mass. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a well-defined mass with iso-signal intensity relative to skeletal muscle on T1-weighted sequences and very high signal intensity on T2-weighted fat-suppressed sequences. Subtle internal enhancement was seen following gadolinium administration. Complete excision was performed under general anesthesia with tourniquet control. Histologically, the lesion was composed of bland spindle to stellate-shaped cells in an abundant myxoid stroma. Immunohistochemically, the lesional cells were positive for CD34 but negative for S-100 protein, smooth-muscle actin, desmin, epithelial membrane antigen and pancytokeratin. These findings were consistent with a diagnosis of SAM. There was no clinical evidence of recurrence during a follow-up period of 3 months. Conclusion: Although extremely rare, SAM should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a cyst-like solid lesion near small joints.