Abstract
A 76-year-old woman noticed her tumor in the right subscapular region three years ago. It was painless. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the lesion confirmed the presence of a right infrascapular soft-tissue mass of 10×17×4cm in diameter with signal intensity similar to that of skeletal muscle interlaced with strands of fat. Histological examination revealed the presence of collagenous and fatty connective tissue where eosinophilic fibers and globular masses positively stained by elastica van Gieson staining were interspersed.
Imaging studies could provide the definite diagnosis in most cases. MRI is particularly effective, as it visualizes the layered pattern of fatty tissue and fibrous tissue. Elastofibromas are benign soft tissue tumors and when a tumor would be diagnosed as an elastofibroma by MRI, we can avoid unnecessary surgical excision.
