Below is a list of some of the benign (noncancerous) soft tissue tumors that we treat:
Only found in pediatric patients:
Hemangioma
A hemangioma, also called an infantile hemangioma, is a bright red birthmark that shows up at birth or early in a child’s life. It looks like a rubbery bump and is made up of extra blood vessels in the skin. While it can occur anywhere on a child’s body, it most commonly appears on the face, scalp, chest or back. It usually fades over time.
Most often found in adults:
Lipoma
A lipoma is a slow-growing, fatty lump that's most often located between your skin and the underlying muscle layer. It feels doughy and moves easily with slight finger pressure. Lipomas tend to be hereditary and appear in middle age. Treatment isn't necessary unless you’re uncomfortable.
Schwannoma
A schwannoma is a type of tumor of the nerve sheath. It's the most common type of benign peripheral nerve tumor in adults and is slow growing. (Peripheral nerves are those outside of the central nervous system—the brain and spinal cord.) It can occur anywhere in your body and at any age. A schwannoma typically comes from a single bundle (fascicle) within the main nerve and displaces the rest of the nerve. It can lead to nerve damage and loss of muscle control. Treatment depends on where the growth is located and if it's causing you pain.
Myxoma
A myxoma is a noncancerous tumor in connective tissue that connects and supports other tissues all over the body. Because they are most frequently found in the heart, they are called cardiac myxomas. These are usually located in the atria — the two upper chambers of your heart — and are known as atrial myxomas. The majority of these occur in the left atrium and are referred to as left atrial myxomas. Myxomas tend to arise from the septum, the wall that separates the left and right sides of your heart. They can also occur in the skeletal muscles (intramuscular myxomas), eye (ocular or conjunctival myxoma) and skin (cutaneous myxoma). In general, myxoma is considered an extremely rare type of tumor. The only treatment is surgery.
Tenosynovial giant cell tumors (TGCTs)
Tenosynovial giant cell tumors (TGCTs), which was previously known as pigmented villonodular synovitis, are a group of rare, benign tumors that form in the synovium (tissue that lines the joints), the tendon sheath (tissue that covers the tendons) or the bursa (a fluid-filled sac between bones, tendons and muscles). They can grow and cause damage to the surrounding tissue and structures of your body. Surgery is the main treatment option, but they tend to recur, particularly diffuse TGCTs.
There are other names and subtypes for TGCTs.
• In localized TGCT, smaller joints tend to be affected, such as digits and parts of your foot.
• In diffuse TGCT, large joints tend to be involved, commonly your knee.