[Giant pleural fibroma]

Solitary fibrous tumors of the pleura are uncommon mesenchymal tumors that have been reported in adults. There are very few cases in children. These tumors are considered benign but their behavior is often unpredictable because they can invade nearby structures and transform into malignant variants after several years. Their clinical presentation is diverse but generally asymptomatic and they are detected incidentally in routine radiologic studies. Prognosis depends firstly on resectability of the tumour and secondly on its size, mitotic count, polymorphism, and necrosis within the tumour. Surgical resection is usually curative. Long-term follow-up is recommended because local recurrences can occur after surgery. We report the case of an asymptomatic 15-year-old girl with a giant thoracic mass revealed incidentally on a chest radiograph. Physical examination revealed thoracic asymmetry and no sounds of breathing were found in the right lung. Computerized tomography and magnetic resonance images showed the giant size of the mass. Preoperative fine needle biopsy was performed. Intraoperative biopsy confirmed the diagnosis. Although histologically benign, the tumors may enlarge rapidly. In the present case, because of the localization and size of the tumor, the patient was at increased risk. The tumour was resected and the postoperative course was uneventful. At present our patient remains under long term annual follow-up.