Calcifying Aponeurotic Fibroma of the Chest Wall in a 5-Month-Old Infant: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

A 5–month–old female infant was admitted to hospital because of a slowly growing solid mass in the right side of the chest. The mass was located on the right fifth rib and did not involve the skin. Ultrasound (US) revealed that the mass was echogenic with a central high echogenicity, suggesting calcification. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed that the calcifying tumor possibly originated from the periosteum of the rib. The tumor was successfully removed and histological diagnosed as a calcifying aponeurotic fibroma (CAF). The patient is free from the tumor 118 months after the surgery. Usually, a CAF develops in the distal extremities and often recurs following excision. To the best of our knowledge, there are no reports in the English literature of a CAF that originated from the chest wall. Herein, we review pediatric cases of CAF that occurred in uncommon sites such as the head, face, neck, and trunk, and discuss the clinical characteristics and treatment of CAF.