[Solitary fibrous tumour of the pleura: about five cases]

Pleural solitary fibrous tumour (PSFT) is a rare, usually benign tumour, with unpredictable behaviour.

Five cases of PSFT were diagnosed in our department over a 12-year period from January 1999 to December 2010. Clinical, radiological, histological, therapeutic and follow-up information were provided in all cases.

Our series comprised four men and one woman. The mean age of the patients at presentation was 55 years. All patients were symptomatic. Radiologic investigations showed a pleural lesion with a mean size of 10.6cm ranging from 3 to 17cm. Histologic diagnosis was made from resected parietal pleura in three cases and visceral pleura in two cases. The histologic features were suggestive of malignancy in two cases and benign in three cases. Immunohistochemical study showed that the tumour cells expressed vimentin, CD34, CD99 and Bcl2. Complete resection was obtained in all patients. The evolution was marked in the two patients with malignant PSFT by the recurrence of the tumour after 6 and 21 months respectively. Both died from the condition. The three patients with a benign form are disease-free after 3, 11 and 2 and half years of follow-up.

PSFT is rare tumour, the diagnosis of which is based on histologic investigations. These tumours require long-term monitoring due to the possibility of local recurrence and malignant transformation.