Intrathoracic fibrolipoma resected using complete thoracoscopic surgery: a case report

Abstract Background Other than adipocytes, lipomas may contain mesodermal components such as varying proportions of fibrous tissues and blood vessels. Fibrolipoma is an uncommon variant of lipoma and comprises a high proportion of fibrous components. An intrathoracic fibrolipoma is extremely rare; t...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Satoshi Kamata, Itaru Ishida, Yuyo Suzuki, Takehiro Yamada, Hiroshi Yaegashi, Hiroyuki Oura
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2018-11-01
Series:Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Subjects:
Online Access:http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13019-018-0808-4
Description
Summary:Abstract Background Other than adipocytes, lipomas may contain mesodermal components such as varying proportions of fibrous tissues and blood vessels. Fibrolipoma is an uncommon variant of lipoma and comprises a high proportion of fibrous components. An intrathoracic fibrolipoma is extremely rare; to the best of our knowledge, only three such cases have been reported till date. Case presentation A 51-year-old female presented with a left intrathoracic mass, which was confirmed to be a lipomatous tumor using computed tomography. A pedunculated tumor originating from the parietal pleura was resected using complete thoracoscopic surgery. Pathological examination indicated a diagnosis of fibrolipoma. Intrathoracic fibrolipomas are extremely rare; this is one of the first reported cases of successfully resecting an intrathoracic fibrolipoma using complete thoracoscopic surgery. Conclusions The tumor was asymptomatic and relatively small when detected during a medical checkup. This enabled the successful resection of the tumor via complete thoracoscopic surgery. Although fibrolipomas are histologically benign, careful observation and follow-up are essential owing to the possibility of recurrence.
ISSN:1749-8090