Prevalence and radiologic features of elastofibroma dorsi: a CT study

Abstract

Background:The study aimed to examine the prevalence and radiological features of Elastofibroma Dorsi (ED), detected incidentally in patients who underwent CT for various reasons. Materials and Methods:A total of 8378 chest CT examinations were reviewed retrospectively for ED from January 2019 to April 2020. Lesion side, thickness, density, and whether stated in the initial report were examined. Results:Of the 8378 patients, 87 patients (1.03%) (41 women and 46 men) had a total of 114 ED. There was no significant difference in the mean age of ED patients regarding gender (p < 0.001). When the ages of the patients included in the study with (n = 87, 52.0 ± 14.7) and without ED (n = 8291, 42.0 ± 15.2) were compared, there was a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001). The rate of bilateral ED was 31%. A positive correlation was determined between mean ED thickness and age (p = 0.001 and p = 0.041 for right and left, respectively). It was noted that none of the patients were diagnosed in the first radiological report.Conclusions: ED is a slow-growing non-neoplastic, soft tissue tumor with a typical periscapular location. Being aware of this entity will prevent the need for advanced diagnostic evaluation. The characteristic appearance of these lesions will reduce unnecessary biopsy and surgery with increased radiologist awareness of their recognition.