Giant solitary fibrous tumor of the liver with metastasis to the skeletal system successfully treated with trisegmentectomy

Our plain-English summary of Giant solitary fibrous tumor of the liver with metastasis to the skeletal system successfully treated with trisegmentectomy, by S. Yilmaz, V. Kirimlioglu, E. Ertas, et al (Digestive Diseases and Sciences, 2000).

The study

• Authors: S. Yilmaz, V. Kirimlioglu, E. Ertas, F. Hilmioglu, B. Yildirim, D. Katz, B. Mizrak
• Journal: Digestive Diseases and Sciences
• Published: 2000;45(1):168-74
• Type of article: Case report, Review
• Cited by: 49 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

In plain English

This case report described one patient: a 25-year-old woman with a very large liver tumor diagnosed as a solitary fibrous tumor (SFT). The article notes that such tumors have also been called "solitary fibrous mesotheliomas," but the authors distinguish them from mesothelioma. The article does not mention asbestos or any other exposure. Fifteen years earlier she had had surgery for a liver tumor whose diagnosis was uncertain. In September 1998 surgeons removed the right lobe and part of the left lobe of her liver. The tumor weighed 4500 g, measured 32 by 30 cm, and was made of spindle-shaped cells. She recovered without complications and left hospital on day 12. One month later she had back and waist pain. Tumor deposits were found in her spine, and biopsies of the left humerus and sternum showed tumor resembling the liver tumor. She began chemotherapy, and six months later her only complaint was back pain. The authors believed this was the first reported liver SFT to spread. They considered it low grade and suggested it may have a good prognosis.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: case report of a single patient
• Who was studied: One 25-year-old married woman who had never given birth. She had had exploratory surgery 15 years earlier for a liver tumor whose diagnosis is uncertain. The article does not state where she was treated. The authors are from the University of Pittsburgh and Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey.
• Exposure: No exposure is reported, and asbestos is not mentioned. The article notes that SFTs have also been called solitary fibrous mesotheliomas, but the authors describe features that distinguish SFT from mesothelioma.
• Main results:
  • In September 1998 a trisegmentectomy (removal of the right lobe and the medial segment of the left lobe of the liver) was performed.
  • The removed tumor weighed 4500 g and measured 32 by 30 cm. The authors called it the largest tumor of its kind.
  • Under the microscope the tumor was made only of spindle cells. It was positive for vimentin and negative for keratin, factor VIII and epithelial membrane antigen.
  • Recovery after surgery was uncomplicated, and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 12.
  • At follow-up one month later she had severe back and waist pain. Metastatic bone lesions were found in the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae.
  • Biopsies of the left humerus and sternum showed tumor destroying bone, with an appearance similar to the liver tumor.
  • She was given chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide and Adriamycin. Six months later her only complaint was back pain.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors believed this was the first reported case of a liver SFT that metastasized. They considered it a low-grade tumor that may have a good prognosis, and said the report should alert physicians that liver SFT can metastasize.

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Mesothelioma.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Solitary Fibrous Tumor, Metastasis.

Related studies

• Solitary fibrous tumor of the liver: a clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical study of nine cases — C.A. Moran, K.G. Ishak, et al. (1998)
• Genetic alterations in cancer knowledge system: analysis of gene mutations in mouse and human liver and lung tumors — M.A. Jackson, I. Lea, et al. (2006)
• Resection of a giant, invasive malignant solitary fibrous tumor of pleura — K. Imai, K. Hirayama, et al. (2012)
• Benign tumors of the liver — K.G. Ishak, L. Rabin (1975)
• Hepatic tumors of long duration with eventual metastases. Two cases of leiomyosarcomatosis possibly arising from hamartomas of liver — R.A. Echevarria, V.M. Arean, et al. (1978)
• Diffuse pleural mesothelioma with distant bone metastasis. A case report — R.N. Laurini (1974)

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