Solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura

Our plain-English summary of Solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura, by A. Orki, A. Kosar, O. Akin, et al (The Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon, 2008).

The study

• Authors: A. Orki, A. Kosar, O. Akin, G. Haciibrahimoglu, S.B. Arman
• Journal: The Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon
• Published: 2008;56(5):287-90
• Cited by: 6 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical behavior of solitary fibrous tumors of the pleura and consider the optimal surgical approach for these rare tumors.

Material And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of nine patients who underwent thoracotomy for tumor resection in our clinic between 1997 and 2006.

Results: Nine patients were operated in this period and their median age was 46 years. None of them had been exposed to asbestos. Symptoms were present in 8 patients. All patients underwent thoracotomy. The tumor originated from the visceral pleura in 7 patients and was parietal in 2. All tumors were totally excised. The median diameter of the tumors was 9 cm (range 4-24 cm). Pathological investigation reported the tumors to be a benign solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura in all 9 patients. Resection was complete in all patients. There was no postoperative mortality and no major complications. No recurrence was observed during a median follow-up of 74 months.

Conclusions: Solitary fibrous tumors of the pleura are rare neoplasms and can have giant diameters. Complete surgical resection is the optimal treatment. The risk of malignant transformation of such large masses should be borne in mind.

In plain English

This study reviewed records of nine patients operated on for solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura, a rare tumor of the lung lining. Surgery took place at a clinic in Istanbul, Turkey, between 1997 and 2006. The six women and three men had a median age of 46 years. None had been exposed to asbestos, and eight had symptoms. The tumors grew from the visceral pleura (covering the lung) in seven patients and the parietal pleura in two. They measured 4 to 24 cm (median 9 cm); four exceeded 10 cm. All tumors were completely removed, and no malignant pathology was found. No patient died after surgery and there were no major complications. One patient bled 650 cc during dissection and the same patient later had a supraventricular arrhythmia (irregular heart rhythm). Over a median follow-up of 74 months, no tumor came back. The authors concluded that surgical resection is the most appropriate treatment. They added that especially tumors larger than 10 cm and arising from the parietal pleura, diaphragmatic tissue, or mediastinum should be followed up for long periods because of a risk of recurrence.

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: Retrospective review of patient records (case series from one clinic)
• Who was studied: Nine patients (six females, three males; median age 46, range 23 to 70 years) who underwent surgical resection for solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura between 1997 and 2006 at a thoracic surgery clinic in Istanbul, Turkey
• Exposure: No asbestos exposure in any patient. The study examined surgical treatment and outcomes, not an exposure.
• Main results:
  • The tumor arose from the visceral pleura in 7 patients and from the parietal pleura in 2
  • Tumor diameter ranged from 4 to 24 cm (median 9 cm); in four patients it was larger than 10 cm
  • No malignant pathologies were found, including in the 4 patients with tumors larger than 10 cm
  • Resection was complete (R0) in all patients
  • No patients died after surgery and there were no major postoperative complications
  • In one patient (no. 6), 650 cc of bleeding occurred from a large vessel on the tumor during dissection
  • The same patient (no. 6) was the only one with a postoperative supraventricular arrhythmia
  • In one patient with hemorrhagic pleural effusion, no malignant cells were found on cytology
  • No recurrence during a median follow-up of 74 months (range 14 to 102 months)
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that surgical resection is the most appropriate choice for both malignant and benign solitary fibrous tumors. They also concluded that especially tumors larger than 10 cm and arising from the parietal pleura, diaphragmatic tissue, or mediastinum should be followed up for long periods because of a risk of recurrence.

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Solitary Fibrous Tumor, Pleura, Thoracotomy, Visceral Pleura, Neoplasm, Surgical Resection, Malignant Transformation.

Related studies

• Solitary benign fibrous tumors of the pleura — M.A. Regal, A.M. Al Rubaish, et al. (2008)
• Huge malignant solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura — W.A. Arab, D. Lamoth, et al. (2012)
• Solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura: 3 case reports — E. Amorim (2015)
• Benign localized fibrous tumor of the pleura: report of 25 new cases — S. Enon, D. Kilic, et al. (2012)
• Solitary fibrous tumors of the pleura: a case report and review of the literature — P. Mordenti, R. Di Cicilia, et al. (2013)
• Solitary fibrous tumors of the pleura: an estimation of population incidence — T. Thorgeirsson, H.J. Isaksson, et al. (2010)

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