DERMATOFIBROMA

Benign tumors of connective tissue originating in the skin have long been recognized. Of these, the well known keloids and the less common fibromas have often been described both clinically and pathologically. For some time our attention has been drawn to a small, hard, fairly well circumscribed lesion originating as a benign growth in the corium of the skin and having certain features characteristic of a simple fibroma yet being nonencapsulated, infiltrative and slowly growing. Following the suggestion of Traub and Monash,1we have called this tumor dermatofibroma, indicating its essential structure and its location. Although the tumor is not particularly uncommon, there is, unfortunately, scant material on the subject in dermatologic or pathologic literature. Unna,2in 1896, described and called the tumor "fibroma simplex." Arning and Lewandowsky,3reporting 25 cases, supplied the term "nodule cutanei." Later, Schreus4named the growth "dermatofibroma lenticulare," since he considered