Operated pulmonary inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors: Our experience with 17 cases

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the clinicopathological features of pulmonary inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor cases operated in our clinic.

A total of 17 inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor patients (5 males, 12 females; median age: 46 years) who were operated in our clinic between February 2000 and July 2019 were included. Data including sex, age, symptoms, accompanying diseases, tumor localization, tumor diameter, endobronchial extension, maximum standard uptake value of the tumors, surgery type, recurrence, and survival data were analyzed.

Two patients were diagnosed preoperatively and two patients were diagnosed during surgery using frozen-section method before resection. Three (17.7%) patients underwent pneumonectomy, five (29.4%) patients lobectomy, three (17.7%) patients segmentectomy, five (29.4%) patients wedge resection, and one (5.8%) patient bronchial sleeve resection. All patients had complete resection with negative margins. None of them had lymph node metastasis. Median follow-up was 122 (range, 8 to 245 months) months. None of the patients received adjuvant therapy, there was no tumor recurrence or tumor-related death.

It is difficult to make a preoperative diagnosis of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor patients. Systematic lymph node dissection is not required in diagnosed patients. Complete resection is the most important prognostic factor, and it is critical to achieve this with the smallest resection possible.