Pleural hibernoma. Treatment by videothoracoscopic surgery

Hibernoma is a rare, benign tumor originating from fetal brown adipose tissue. Although it is usually found in the interscapular region, it has also been reported in sites where brown fat is less common. Diagnosis of hibernoma is based on histological examination of an excised specimen. Since it is difficult to differentiate preoperatively between hibernoma and other soft-tissue tumors, such as lipoma or, more importantly, liposarcoma, total surgical excision is the treatment of choice. This paper offers what would appear to be the first reported case of pleural hibernoma treated by videothoracoscopic surgery.