Intra-abdominal desmoid tumor mimicking locoregional recurrence after colectomy in a patient with sporadic colon cancer: report of a case

Desmoid tumors are rare, benign fibromatous lesions that result from the abnormal proliferation of myofibroblasts. A 61-year-old man underwent laparoscopyassisted right hemicolectomy for ascending colon cancer. The final TNM stage was stage IIIB (T3N1M0). Follow-up computed tomography (CT), done 12 months after primary surgery, showed a nodular, enhancing soft-tissue density mass, 12 mm in size, in the mesentery, near the anastomosis. Another CT scan, done 4 months later, revealed that the tumor had enlarged to 27 mm in size. We suspected locoregional recurrence of colon cancer and resected the tumor, together with the distal ileum and colon, including the previous anastomotic site. The tumor was histologically diagnosed as a desmoid tumor. The patient remains well 24 months after his last operation. Differentiating between the desmoid tumor and locoregional recurrent tumor was difficult, and surgical resection was the optimal treatment.     

Recurrent fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma with biliary invasion: Successful resection

A jaundiced 17-year-old man was diagnosed as having a local recurrence of fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma 2 years and 4 months after left hepatic trisegmentectomy with total caudate lobectomy had been performed. The patient had a tumor occupying the upper part of the extrahepatic and intrahepatic bile ducts. Complete resection of the recurrent tumor was carried out. The patient remains well 3 years after the second surgery. Fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma, a rare type of liver cancer, is a well defined disease entity with distinct clinical and histopathological features and a favorable prognosis. The good prognosis seems to warrant aggressive surgical intervention in patients with recurrences. Therefore, additional surgery for tumor recurrence should be considered. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a case in which a recurrent tumor of fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma invaded the entire bile duct wall was successfully resected.     

A case of retroperitoneal dedifferentiated liposarcoma initially diagnosed as malignant fibrous histiocytoma: a case report

We report a case of retroperitoneal tumor which turned out to be liposarcoma by the histological evaluation of its recurrent tumor, although the initial tumor was diagnosed as malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH). A retroperitoneal tumor in a 62-year-old man was removed and pathologically diagnosed as MFH. Five years after the initial surgery, computed tomography (CT) demonstrated a recurrent tumor near the spleen. The tumor was resected together with the spleen, tail of pancreas, and connective tissue due to adhesion and diagnosed as well-differentiated liposarcoma with sclerosing component. Generally dedifferentiated liposarcoma is difficult to distinguish from MFH and the presence of a well-differentiated liposarcoma component in the adjacent adipose tissue leads to the diagnosis of dedifferentiated liposarcoma. The clinical course of the present case indicated that the initial tumor was dedifferentiated liposarcoma and the recurrent tumor developed from the surrounding well-differentiated liposarcoma.     

Recurrent mediastinal liposarcoma twenty years after the initial operation: case report

We report a case of mediastinal liposarcoma, recurrent after 20 years. A 58-year-old man who presented with dyspnea on exertion was found to have a large mediastinal tumor in chest computed tomography (CT), and he was referred to our hospital. He had undergone an extirpation of a mediastinal liposarcoma about 20 years earlier, and we suspected its recurrence. Because the tumor was very large, it was removed in two stages. Histologically it was diagnosed as a recurrence of the previous well-differentiated liposarcoma. Although liposarcoma is one of the most common soft-tissue sarcomas in adults, a mediastinal liposarcoma is rare. Because the recurrence rate is very high, it is necessary to follow up carefully over a long term.     

Ectopic primary pleural thymoma: Report of a case

We herein report an 83-year-old man who presented with a pleural tumor in the right thorax. The tumor was surgically resected and histopathologically diagnosed as ectopic primary pleural thymoma lacking any evidence of a mediastinal tumor. The clinicopathological aspects of this unusual thymoma are also discussed.     

Mediastinal liposarcoma appearing as a tumor arising in the esophageal wall

We report a case of mediastinal liposarcoma, a relatively uncommon neoplasm, in which the mass also appeared as a tumor arising in the esophageal wall. A 76-year-old man diagnosed with a posterior mediastinal mass had the tumor extirpated in local esophageal myectomy due to its unclear margin on the esophageal wall. The resected specimen was diagnosed as well-differentiated liposarcoma. Preoperative angiography showed the tumor received its blood supply from a branch of the left gastric artery, suggesting it arose in the lower esophageal segment close to the hiatus and extended to the mediastinum. Since this tumor's growth pattern differed completely from esophageal liposarcoma described in previous case reports, we concluded that it was mediastinal liposarcoma.     

Successful resection of mediastinal and abdominal recurrent tumors of esophageal leiomyosarcoma 12 years after surgery

A 57-year-old woman admitted to our hospital in October, 1988 because of the tumor of the abdominal wall and abnormal shadows of right chest wall and right upper mediastinum. Her esophagus had been resected and reconstructed by the stomach roll because of the esophageal leiomyosarcoma in May, 1976. Clinical examinations revealed that the abdominal mass and chest shadows were the recurrence of the leiomyosarcoma. The abdominal tumor was resected on 17th October, 1988. On 14th December, 1988 right thoracotomy was performed. Chest wall tumor (40 x 30 x 20 mm) and mediastinal tumor (45 x 40 x 35 mm) were resected completely. The mediastinal tumor was adhered to the remnant esophageal muscle layer. Microscopic section of the tumor showed spindle cell sarcoma with fine calcification, and it was diagnosed as the metastatic leiomyosarcoma.     

Early small cell lung cancer with extensive inflammation and scar formation.

A 56-year-old man, at one year before his first visit to our hospital, had presented cough, stridor and chest pain, and expectorated a mass, resulting in prompt disappearance of the symptoms. He was afflicted with recurrent symptoms, and the bronchoscopy showed a polypoid tumor occluding the right lower bronchus. The tumor was resected via bronchoscopy, which revealed histologically small cell carcinoma with significant inflammation and scar formation. The tumor was macroscopically the same as the one that had been expectorated by the patient at one year previously. A right lower lobectomy was conducted, but the specimen demonstrated no residual tumor. Tumor invasion into the bronchial wall was therefore limited within the submucosal layer for more than a year. Finally, the present tumor was diagnosed as an early small cell lung cancer with a characteristic of self involution. With no adjuvant treatment, the patient is well without tumor recurrence at 3 years to date after the surgery.     

Anterior mediastinal paraganglioma mimicking thymoma

A 54-year-old man was referred to our institution with hemoptysis and hoarseness of 1 year's duration. A computed tomography (CT) scan showed an anterior mediastinal mass (2.5 cm x 1.0 cm), which was diagnosed as thymoma. The tumor was resected under a sternotomy. The tumor had invaded the anterior wall of the ascending aorta. With the patient under cardiopulmonary bypass, the aortic wall invaded by the mass was resected, and arterial reconstruction was performed with patch material. The tumor was revealed to be a tumor of neuronal origin. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 9. One year after the operation, a follow-up chest CT evaluation showed no specific complications or recurrence.     

A case of Castleman lymphoma in the right pulmonary hilum and mediastinum

A 36-year-old man who complained of low grade fever and cough was detected an abnormal shadow in the right pulmonary hilum and mediastinum on a chest X-ray film. On admission, laboratory data showed high CRP and hyper gamma globlinemia. In thoracotomy, original tumor and mediastinal lymph node were resected. Histopathologically, main tumor and two of all the resected lymph node were diagnosed as Castleman lymphoma (plasma cell type). We consider that not only the main tumor and also the peripheral lymph node should be resected in this disease, because the lesions were often showed multicentric if this tumor were plasma cell type.     

Pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma; report of a case

We report a case of a 64-year-old man with pleomorphic carcinoma of the lung and thymic cyst. He was admitted to our hospital because of an abnormal shadow observed on chest X-ray. Computed tomography (CT) showed a mass lesion located in the right upper lobe and a non-invasive anterior mediastinal tumor adjacent to the left brachiocepharic vein. On enhanced CT, the lung mass showed central low-attenuation areas with a substantial enhancement in the periphery. Preoperative transbronchial blushing cytology of the mass revealed adenocarcinoma. With a diagnosis of primary lung cancer (cT3N0M0) and mediastinal tumor, an operation was performed through a median sternotomy. The mediastinal tumor was excised and a right upper lobectomy and were also accomplished, because the lung tumor did not show adhesion or pleural invasion. Histopathologic examination of the resected specimen revealed that the lung tumor composed of a mixture of spindle and giant cell features and contained a component of adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. This finding yielded a pathological diagnosis of pleomorphic carcinoma (pT2N0M0). The mediastinal tumor was diagnosed as thymic cyst. The postoperative course was uneventful, and he is currently well 6 months after surgery.     

Desmoid tumor of the chest wall following chest surgery: Report of a case

Desmoid tumors of the chest wall following chest surgery are a rare occurrence. A case of this disease is reported herein together with a review of the literature. A 74-year-old man, who had previously undergone a right lower lobectomy for squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, was referred to our hospital with an abnormal shadow on his chest X-ray. The tumor, located in the right lateral chest wall, was successfully resected by an aggressive, wide extirpation, and a final diagnosis of a desmoid tumor originating in the chest wall was made. When following up patients after surgery for lung cancer, the possibility of desmoid tumors developing in the incised chest wall should therefore be kept in mind.     

Mediastinal seminoma with hemangiosarcoma

A 30-year-old man visited a local hospital with the chief complaints of a cough and tightness of the chest. He was found to have an anterior mediastinal tumor, and was referred to our hospital for treatment. He was diagnosed with a large mediastinal tumor, over 15 cm in long diameter, compressing the heart and superior vena cava. The tumor was resected, and diagnosed as a multilocular thymic cyst. He followed an uneventful postoperative course, and was discharged. Later, he re-visited us with severe cough and bloody sputum. Despite further evaluation, no definitive diagnosis could be made. Chest computed tomography (CT) revealed a mass in the left pulmonary hilum and multiple nodules in the left lung field. The symptoms rapidly worsened until his death. At autopsy, the left lung lesion was diagnosed as hemangiosarcoma. It was also confirmed that the multilocular thymic cyst contained minute germ cell neoplastic (seminomatous) and hemangiosarcomatous components. We speculate that the hemangiosarcomatous component arising in association with the seminoma metastasized to the left lung.     

Thymic metastasis from prostatic carcinoma: Report of a case

The thymus is an important organ involved in cell-mediated immunological function, and to our knowledge, there has never been a case of thymic metastasis reported. We recently examined a 65-year-old man who presented at our department with a cough and shortness of breath on exertion. He had a history of prostatic carcinoma for which he had undergone an orchiectomy 11 years previously. Investigations disclosed a mediastinal tumor, 14×9 cm in size, and histological examination of the resected tumor confirmed a diagnosis of thymic metastasis from prostatic carcinoma.     

Lymphatic and venous malformation or “lymphangiohemangioma“ of the anterior mediastinum: case report and literature review

Lymphatic and venous malformations (LVM) are tumor-like lesions combining dysplastic lymphatic and venous vessel structures. They are rarely found in the mediastinum. We present a case of mediastinal LVM, with review of the literature. An asymptomatic 60-yearold man presented for evaluation of an anterior mediastinal mass. On chest computed tomography (CT), the mass demonstrated contrast enhancement and its 7-mm vein draining directly into the left brachiocephalic vein. The tumor was resected completely using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. The surgical specimen revealed combined features of venous and lymphatic dysplasia, and was diagnosed it as LVM, so-called mediastinal lymphangiohemangioma. Management plans based on precise imaging studies using magnetic resonance imaging and multi-detector-row CT phlebography could be helpful in guiding both preoperative diagnosis and subsequent treatment decisions for mediastinal LVM.     

Delayed occurrence of multiple spinal drop metastases from a posterior fossa choroid plexus papilloma. Case report

Choroid plexus papilloma is a benign central nervous system tumor that occasionally spreads along the subarachnoid space. The authors report the case of a 49-year-old man who presented with back pain 19 years after resection of a posterior fossa choroid plexus papilloma. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed multiple spinal lesions without any residual or recurrent intracranial tumor. All spinal lesions were resected and histologically diagnosed as atypical choroid plexus papilloma. The authors suggest that patients in whom choroid plexus papilloma is diagnosed should undergo total neuraxis imaging at the time of initial diagnosis as well as periodic follow-up examinations after resection to rule out drop metastases.     

Recurrence of desmoid tumor in a multivisceral transplant patient with Gardner's syndrome

BACKGROUND: Desmoid tumors are locally invasive fibromatous tumors, which, in patients with Gardner's syndrome, usually occur in the abdominal wall or intra-abdominally. After excision, they tend to recur, often leading to multiple bowel resections. METHODS: This is a report of the clinical course of a patient with Gardner's syndrome and desmoid tumor who had multiple enterectomies and gradually developed short-gut syndrome. He required prolonged parenteral nutrition, which damaged the liver. The patient underwent a multivisceral transplantation as a life-saving procedure. RESULTS: After the transplant, the desmoid tumor recurred in the thoracic wall twice and was successfully resected. It also recurred in the abdominal cavity, compressing the intestinal loops; the tumor was excised uneventfully, leaving the graft intact. The recurrent tumors were all of recipient origin. CONCLUSIONS: Intestinal and multivisceral transplantation could be considered in patients with short-gut syndrome caused by recurrent desmoid tumor. In the case of posttransplant tumor recurrence, resection is the only option recommended.     

Cavernous hemangioma in the anterior mediastinum; report of a case

A rare case of mediastinal hemangioma was reported in this article. A 63 years old male was pointed out an abnormal shadow in the chest CT scan though he had no symptoms. It showed a well-defined round mass with low density in the anterior mediastinum. MRI (T2 weight) showed the lesion as a high intensity tumor. We diagnosed it thymoma and planned the surgical treatment. The tumor was resected completely through median partial sternotomy. The tumor was 2 cm in diameter. Histological examination revealed it cavernous hemangioma, and neither coagulations nor phleboliths were identified in vessels of the tumor.     

Desmoid tumors: diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties. Apropos of an unusual case]

This observation has been previously reported as a multifocal and recidivant desmoid tumor. The first time, the patient was operated on for a desmoid tumor situated on his left thigh. He was reoperated on fourteen years later for a recurrent tumor implanted on the same place and a new one on the right arm. Recently bilateral pulmonary tumors were discovered. As far as this evolution was concerned, its exceptional pattern induced a new analysis of the microscopic data and the diagnosis of fibrohistiocytic sarcoma was established. This observation suggest to the authors some comments about the difficulty of diagnosis and therapy of such soft tissue tumors.     

Mediastinal recurrence of breast cancer suspecting mediastinal fibrosis

A 63-year-old female, who had undergone a modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer at the age of 45, was suffered from trachyphonia due to left recurrent nerve paralysis at the age of 53. She presented left phrenic nerve paralysis and dysphagia at the age of 61. Computed tomography (CT) revealed mediastinal fibrosis, stenosis of esophagus and superior vena cava, and slight lymph nodes swelling. Video-assisted thoracoscopic mediastinal biopsy was performed and the mediastinal fibrosis was diagnosed as recurrence of breast cancer 17 years after the breast cancer operation. She underwent mediastinal radiation and chemotherapy for mediastinal recurrence and stenting for esophageal stenosis.