Intravascular Fasciitis Clinically Mimicking an Axillary Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor

Abstract

Intravascular fasciitis is one of the benign myofibroblastic pseudosarcomatous proliferations, among which nodular fasciitis is the prototype. These lesions are important as they may mimic a variety of sarcomas and other lesions on both clinical and pathologic grounds. This report describes the features of one such lesion that arose within the brachial artery and invested nerve trunks of the brachial plexus. The patient presented with symptoms of arm fatigue and hand numbness. There were no neurological or vascular findings on physical examination. The clinicopathologic differential diagnosis is discussed. Also, surgeons are cautioned to involve a vascular etiology in their differential diagnosis and seek the help of a vascular surgeon when the lesion juxtaposes the axillary artery or vein.