What is a fibroma?
The definition of fibroma is a noncancerous (benign) tumor or growth consisting of fibrous, connective tissue. Since you have tissue all over your body, they can appear almost anywhere. If you develop a fibroma, you may not have any symptoms. Most don’t require any treatment because they usually aren’t cancerous (malignant). Fibrosarcomas, rather, are malignant tumors.
What are the different types of fibromas?
Fibromas can occur on your skin, organs and other tissues. The most common types include:
Plantar fibroma
A plantar fibroma is a knot or lump in the plantar fascia tissue in the arch of your foot. Your plantar fascia is a band of tissue that supports your muscle and runs from your heel to your toes.
Non-ossifying fibroma
A non-ossifying fibroma is a benign bone tumor made of tissue such as scar tissue. Non-ossifying means it doesn’t calcify into your bone tissue. The tumor grows on your bone, but it’s not made of bone. These types of growths affect as many as 20% to 40% of healthy children.
Angiofibroma
An angiofibroma is a growth made up of blood vessels and fibrous tissue. They look like small, flesh-colored, pink or red pimples on your cheeks or nose.
Dermatofibroma
A dermatofibroma is a growth that can occur anywhere on your skin. They most often appear on your upper arms, lower legs and upper back. These skin growths feel like hard lumps below your skin. They range in color from flesh-colored to deep purple.
Oral fibroma
An oral fibroma is a growth on the inside of your mouth. They most often appear on the inside of your cheek where your upper and lower teeth meet. These types of growths are called irritation or traumatic fibromas because they occur due to irritation or after trauma in the area.
Uterine fibroid
A uterine fibroid is a growth on the wall inside or outside of your uterus. You could develop one or many fibroids and they vary in size.
Who do fibromas affect?
Anyone can develop a fibroma, but other than the non-ossifying type, they occur mostly in adults. Plantar fibromas are more likely to affect people of European descent than other ethnicities. Dermatofibromas affect people of all ages but are more common in people in their 20s, 30s and 40s. They also develop more often in people assigned female at birth (AFAB) than people assigned male at birth (AMAB).
Up to 70% of people AFAB will develop a uterine fibroid during their lifetime. This type of fibroma typically affects people AFAB in their 30s and 40s. They’re two to five times more common in Black people AFAB.
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