Imaging findings from a case of pleural low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma similar to mesothelioma with pleural effusion

Our plain-English summary of Imaging findings from a case of pleural low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma similar to mesothelioma with pleural effusion, by W. Liang, S. Xu (The Clinical Respiratory Journal, 2016).

The study

• Authors: W. Liang, S. Xu
• Journal: The Clinical Respiratory Journal
• Published: 2016;10(1):120-4
• Type of article: Case report
• Cited by: 6 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

Low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma as a rare type of tumor shows no specific clinical symptoms and is mainly treated via total or partial surgical resection. We present a 40-year-old woman accompanied with respiratory symptoms. The chest contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan revealed pleural lesions mimicking pleural mesothelioma. Further chest contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a cystic solid mass in the right cavity. The mass was partially resected. Pathological examination revealed pleural low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma. We report the imaging manifestations of this case. Contrast-enhanced MRI examination is a necessary step for those cystic solid masses that occur in the pleura.

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

In plain English

This article is a case report from a hospital in Hangzhou, China. It described one woman, aged 42 in the case report, who had cough, sputum, chest tightness and shortness of breath for about one month. Doctors drained 600 mL of bloody fluid from her chest. A contrast CT scan showed a large cystic lesion in the right chest with no contrast enhancement. The authors wrote that on CT the soft tissue resembled pleural mesothelioma, so CT alone might lead to misdiagnosis. A contrast MRI scan showed oval line-like enhancement on delayed images. The tumor measured 10 by 11 cm at its largest. Surgeons removed only part of it because it had invaded and stuck to the top of the pleura. Tissue examination diagnosed low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma, a rare tumor, not mesothelioma, and the patient continued radiotherapy. The authors concluded that this tumor lacks specific CT features and that MRI helps show its components before surgery. The article does not mention asbestos.

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 (single patient)
• Who was studied: One woman, aged 42 according to the case report (the abstract says 40), treated at The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; dates of care not given
• Exposure: None reported; the article does not mention asbestos or any occupational or environmental exposure
• Main results:
  • The patient had 600 mL of hemorrhagic pleural effusion drained
  • On contrast-enhanced CT, neither the cystic nor the solid part of the right chest lesion enhanced
  • The authors wrote that on CT the cystic parts resembled thick encapsulated effusion and the soft tissue resembled pleural mesothelioma, so CT alone could lead to misdiagnosis
  • On contrast MRI there was no early enhancement but oval line-like enhancement on delayed images
  • The tumor was only partly removed because it had invaded and adhered to the pleural cupula; it was cystic and solid with a maximum diameter of 10 by 11 cm
  • Pathology and immunohistochemistry led to a diagnosis of low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma (CD34 and smooth muscle actin slightly positive)
  • After surgery the patient continued radiotherapy; no longer-term outcome was reported
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that pleural low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma lacks specific features on CT, and that MRI helps show the tumor's different components and contributes to evaluation before surgery

Topics

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

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Sarcoma, Mesothelioma, Pleural Effusion, Surgical Resection, Pleural Mesothelioma, Pleura.

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