Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2002;21:339
© 2002 Elsevier Science NL
Images in cardio-thoracic surgery |
Giant neurofibroma of the chest wall
Stefano Margaritora,
Domenico Galetta*,
Alfredo Cesario,
Pierluigi Granone
General Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgical Sciences, Catholic University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Received 14 October 2001;
received in revised form 17 November 2001;
accepted 21 November 2001.
* Corresponding author. Thoracic Department, Institut Mutualiste Montsouris, 42 Boulevard Jourdan, 75014 Paris, France. Tel.: +39-347-6192733
e-mail: mimgaletta{at}yahoo.com
A 30-year-old man affected by a von Recklinghausen neurofibromatosis was referred for the investigation of a slow-growing, painless mass of the left chest.
A routine chest X-ray (Fig. 1)
showed a ‘dysmorphism’ of the left chest wall. A Magnetic Resonance (MR) (Fig. 2)
demonstrated a 15 cm in diameter axillary mass compressing the osteomuscular portion of the chest wall and adjacent lung parenchyma. Another 6 cm in diameter lesion was observed in the supra- and subclavicular region. Resection of the entire soft tissue mass was performed. Histology confirmed a completely resected, polilobular giant neurofibroma. The post-operative course was uneventful and 7 months later the patient is well and free from tumor recurrence.
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Fig. 2. Coronal plane T1 spiral echo MR scan showing lobulated masses of the chest wall. The involvement of the supra- and subclavicular region, severe deformity of the chest, and thoracic scoliosis are clearly evident.
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