Iodine-125 Interstitial Brachytherapy for Pediatric Desmoid-Type Fibromatosis of the Head and Neck: A Case Report

Desmoid-type fibromatosis (DF) is a locally aggressive benign soft tissue tumor. It is rarely observed in the head and neck region and is particularly uncommon in the parotid gland. This report describes the case of a 32-month-old girl with DF of the head and neck. The tumor was resected with gross residual tumors. Recurrence occurred 3 months later and then the patient was treated with iodine-125 interstitial brachytherapy. The tumor was completely absent 6 months after brachytherapy. No recurrence was found 60 months after brachytherapy during follow-up. No severe toxicities or growth abnormalities were observed. Very-low-dose rate brachytherapy as the sole modality could be a reasonable alternative for the treatment of inoperable DF of the head and neck, which avoids the risk of cosmetic deformity caused by surgery, especially in pediatric patients. In addition, long-term follow-up is recommended.