A Case of Extra–abdominal Chest Wall Desmoid Tumor

Abstract

A 44–year–old woman seen for right back pain was found in chest computed tomography (CT) to have right pleural thickening. She underwent right chest–wall resection and reconstruction, resulting in a postoperative diagnosis of desmoid tumor of the chest wall. Desmoid tumors are rare and histopathologically benign, but tend to recur locally at a high rate. Treatment is surgical excision. A desmoid tumor arising from the chest wall necessitates chest–wall reconstruction, so the treatment strategy requires possible postoperative adjuvant therapy for incomplete resection. Treatment must both maintain quality of life (QOL) and effectively prevent local recurrence or metastasis. Careful long–term follow–up is also required.