Primary pleural synovial sarcoma. A case report and review of the literature

Synovial sarcoma (SS) is an uncommon soft tissue tumor that occurs primarily in the extremities of young adults, especially in the periarticular region. In this report, we describe the rare occurrence of primary SS of the pleura in a 15-year-old boy. Histologically, the tumor demonstrated monophasic morphologic findings and showed positive staining with vimentin and Bcl-2 and focally for cytokeratin CK7. Fluorescent in situ hybridization identified t(X;18) translocation. The patient developed recurrences 20 months following resection of the tumor. The literature on this uncommon entity is reviewed, and its histogenesis, differential diagnoses, and cytologic features are also discussed.