Case report
Giant Solitary Fibrous Tumor of the Epicardium Causing Reversible Heart Failure

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.athoracsur.2013.02.053Get rights and content

A 68-year-old woman with a 2-year history of dyspnea and fatigue was admitted to our hospital with a massive pericardial effusion. Computed tomography and cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging revealed a huge (17 cm maximum diameter) intrapericardial mass. After successful tumor resection, a giant solitary fibrous tumour of the epicardium was diagnosed by histology. Histologic features of malignancy were absent, and the patient is alive and well 1 year after the operation, undergoing close follow-up at regular intervals. Recurrences have been exceptionally reported in benign solitary fibrous tumors, and experience with this exceptionally rare and enigmatic cardiac tumor is lacking.

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Comment

Solitary fibrous tumors have been described in both thoracic (pleura-based) and extrathoracic (liver, kidney, prostate, central nervous system, periosteum, vagina, or skin) sites, the cardiac localization being very rare 1, 6, 7, 8. Giant SFTs have been mainly diagnosed in pleura and in all ages and exceptionally in the heart 2, 5. Most SFTs, in particular extrapleural tumors, except for those of mediastinal origin, are benign, although rare malignant variants have been reported so far,

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