A resected case of malignant fibrous histiocytoma showed a huge mass occupying the whole of the hemithorax

Abstract

We report a 51-year-old man with malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH), treated with pleuropneumonectomy. The patient suffered from severe dyspnea (grade IV of Hugh-Jones' classification). Chest X-ray and chest computed tomography (CT) showed a huge mass that occupied the whole of the right thorax. We performed a pleuropneumonectomy on suspicion of chondrosarcoma. The tumor was yellowish and gelatinous, and weighed 8 kg. Pathologically, the tumor was diagnosed as myxoid malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH). After the operation, he made a remarkably untroubled recovery, free from dyspnea (grade I). Clinical examination 6 months postoperatively showed the man to be well with no MFH recurrence.