A resected case of chest wall desmoid tumor following thoracoscopic surgery for spontaneous pneumothorax

Abstract

A 33-year-old man who had undergone a bullectomy for spontaneous pneumothorax two years before was referred to our hospital because of an abnormal chest radiograph shadow. Chest CT revealed a right chest wall tumor located at the site of the previous operative wound. The tumor was resected en bloc together with part of the 4^th and 5^th ribs and intercostal muscle. The defect of the chest wall was reconstructed using artificial material. The tumor was diagnosed pathologically as a desmoid tumor that showed the proliferation of spindle-shaped cells and invaded the ribs and intercostal muscle. The tumor was completely resected with a sufficient margin. No evidence of recurrence has been noted for 12 years since the operation. Primary chest wall desmoid tumors are rare, but should be considered for differential diagnosis if a tumor develops at the site of a previous operative wound.