THORACOSCOPICALLY EXTIRPATED SOLITARY FIBROUS TUMOR OF THE VISCERAL PLEURA -REPORT OF TWO CASES-

Abstract

We have experienced two cases of solitary fibrous tumor arisen in the visceral pleura. Case 1 involved a 69-year-old woman. She was pointed out a tumor shadow in the left lower lung field on a chest X-ray film at a medical checkup. A tumor of the chest wall was suspected on a chest CT scan, but no definite diagnosis was made even by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and percutaneous needle biopsy. So a thoracoscoy aided operation was performed, and it was revealed that the mass was solitary fibrous tumor arising from the visceral pleura of left lower lobe. Case 2 involved a 29-year-old man. He was pointed out a tumor shadow in the right lower lung field on a chest X-ray film at another hospital where he visited for an injury in a traffic accident. Although there was no increasing tendency of the tumor, the patient was seen at the hospital with his hope for a thoracoscopic operation. No definite diagnosis was made by chest CT, MRI, and percutaneous needle biopsy, but a thoracoscopic operation was performed. It was found that the tumor was a solitary fibrous tumor arisen in the visceral pleura of the right lower lobe.
Solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura is a relatively rare entity that has been called circumscribed fibrous pleural mesothelioma so far. It often presents difficulty in preoperative diagnosis, but surgical resection of the tumor can provide a relatively favorable prognosis.