What is desmoid tumor?

Also known as: Aggressive fibromatosis.

A desmoid tumor in one that frequently arises in muscles (often in the abdominal wall and shoulder, legs and arms also may be affected), however the tumor can also come from tissues, tendons, and ligaments.

It's a relatively uncommon tumor which tends to occur in children (boys and girls equally), and young adults.

They are locally fast (aggressively) growing, often invading adjacent muscle and organs and frequently present in families who have polyps (finger-like growths) in the large bowel (colon).

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Reviewed by: Jack Wolfsdorf, MD, FAAP

This page was last updated on: 1/29/2019 3:21:13 PM