A case of a submucosal transglottic solitary fibrous tumor

Abstract

Solitary fibrous tumors （SFT） are rare soft tissue tumors that can occur throughout the body but are most commonly found in the chest cavity. SFTs are usually, but not always, benign. We report herein on a 76-year-old female who was diagnosed with a submucosal transglottic SFT. The patient presented with a complaint of hoarseness at a local hospital. An endoscopic examination of the throat revealed a submucosal transglottic tumor on the left side. A CT scan further revealed a 25-mm contrast-enhanced mass. The initial diagnosis was a paraganglioma tumor and the patient was subsequently referred to our department for further examination and surgery. The surgery was scheduled in February 20XX for June 20XX, however, over the course of the next two months, the tumor grew rapidly with breathing becoming difficult. Thus, surgery was performed in April 20XX. The procedure began with preoperative embolization of the feeding vessels with the upper end of the thyroid cartilage resected to provide a field of view. The tumor was removed in one piece and without complications. Postoperative pathology revealed diffuse proliferation of spindle-shaped tumor cells with the tumor positive for both CD34 and STAT6. These factors are all indicative of an SFT. Metastasis of an SFT is evaluated based on Demicco’s risk classification and this SFT was graded as 2, which is low risk. No recurrence has been found as of 8 months follow-up. Thus, despite the rarity of a mass in the submucosal transglottic area being an SFT, the possibility should be considered due to the need for early diagnosis and immediate surgery to prevent serious and potentially life-threatening complications.