Sclerosing pneumocytoma originated in the middle mediastinum: a case report

Sclerosing pneumocytoma is a benign tumor that occurs mostly in the lungs and very rarely in the middle mediastinum. It may be difficult to diagnose, as its radiological features and histologic heterogeneity mimic malignancy; therefore a histopathologic examination is required to establish a definitive diagnosis.

The patient was a 52-year-old woman who was found to have a tumor in the middle mediastinum on a chest CT scan and was referred to our hospital for resection. We performed a resection of the mediastinal tumor, assuming it was thymoma or teratoma, via video-assisted thoracic surgery. Histopathological analysis of the mediastinal tumor revealed it to be a sclerosing pneumocytoma.

Herein, we presented a case of a very rare sclerosing pneumocytoma originating from the middle mediastinum where video-assisted thoracic surgery allowed for minimally invasive resection and histopathological diagnosis of the tumor. Such procedures should be considered as the histopathological diagnosis of the tumor may help determine the optimal treatment options.