[Giant fibrolipoma of the mediastinum]

The authors discuss the management of an enormous fibrolipoma which rarely occurs in the mediastinum. A 54-year-old patient underwent an extended posterolateral thoracotomy and resection of a mass which was preoperatively diagnosed as liposarcoma. The size of the removed specimen was 42×35×23 cm and weight was 5200 g. Final histology revealed a primary mediastinal fibrolipoma. Following a long-standing lung compression, the lung has fully expanded after a temporary postoperative failure of expansion. Postoperative serial chest x-rays confirmed that the marked mediastinal midline shift gradually resolved, and the patient's complaints improved considerably, too.

the vast majority of tumors located in the mediastinum needs to be operated on. Surgical techniques available involve open or videothoracoscopic methods. The latter is limited though by the patient's general condition and the size of the mass needs to be resected. In cases when the tumour is deemed to be irresectable, surgical debulking and oncological adjuvant treatment can be justified to improve quality of life.