Neurofibromas as bilateral cystic chest wall swellings

A 35 year old male farmer presented with soft bilateral posterior chest wall swellings. He had no similar swellings elsewhere. There were no associated symptoms, except cosmetic deformity and discomfort when he lies on his back. A clinical diagnosis of posterior chest wall lipomata was made. However at surgery, the two tumours were completely cystic. Following total excision, histology of the two tumours revealed cystic degeneration of neurofibromas. His postoperative recovery was uneventful. The importance of this report is to emphasize the need for histological examination of all excised human tissues, which is not always the case in most of our rural areas and to document the discovery of such a rare clinical entity in our centre. This rare entity should be borne in mind when considering the differential diagnosis of benign cystic chest wall tumours.