Solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura mimicking a soft tissue sarcoma of the chest wall

Abstract

Introduction and importance Solitary fibrous tumors of the pleura (SFTPs) present a diagnostic challenge. We herein report a successful case mimicking a soft tissue sarcoma of the chest wall by a meticulous evaluation of the conventional images. Case presentation A 51-year-old woman presented with a left thoracic mass. The mass exhibited an extrapleural sign, which suggested a chest wall origin. However, the mass was found to be located more caudally by additional computed tomography. This positional change suggested that the mass was pedunculated from the visceral pleura, and an SFTP was suspected. The mass was found to originate from the visceral pleura of the left lower lobe and a pathological diagnosis of an SFTP was confirmed. Clinical discussion Although a positional shift with a postural change or the respiratory phase is a well-known characteristic radiological finding, such an intentional imaging study is available only for suspicious cases of SFTPs. Conclusions SFTPs pose a diagnostic challenge because of their rarity and the lack of specific radiological findings. Even conventional radiological images can be diagnostic by performing a meticulous evaluation regardless of any specific diagnosis being initially assumed.