Extra nuchal-type fibroma associated with repetitive blunt trauma during religious activities

Abstract

Nuchal-type fibroma (NTF) is a rare, benign subcutaneous tumor that usually arises from the posterior neck. NTF is histologically characterised by dense collagen bundles and sparse fibroblasts. Only four trauma-related cases have been previously published. Herein, we present a case of extra NTF with histopathology, and six palanquin porters by using snowball sampling technique in ethnographic field research. A palanquin is a type of human-powered transport carried upon the shoulders mostly seen in religious processions. All individuals (mean age, 26.8years) displayed similar shoulder masses measuring up to 12cm in the greatest dimensions. They averaged approximately 8.1years of palanquin-carrying work each. We believe that long-term, heavy shoulder weight bearing of palanquins in religious dance performances may attribute to the incidence of extra NTF. This study reviews all literature of trauma-associated NTF through PubMed database, and highlights the association between repetitive blunt trauma and the development of NTF.