Desmoid fibromatosis-a diagnostic dilemma

Desmoid fibromatosis in head and neck is infrequent and poses a significant challenge to the clinicians due to its non-specific characteristics.

This case report focuses on a 69-year-old male who presented to a tertiary healthcare center in Karnataka, India with a swelling in the oral cavity.

Despite initial suspicions of malignancy based on clinical examination and findings on computed tomography imaging, subsequent histopathology and immunohistochemistry revealed an unexpected finding.

The case highlights the importance of clinical suspicion and histopathological evaluation as well as the need for greater awareness to facilitate early diagnosis and appropriate management of desmoid fibromatosis. We also present a literature review of varied presentations of desmoid tumors afflicting various subsites of the head and neck.