Elastofibroma Dorsi: Demographic, Clinical, and Radiological Assessment: A Retrospective Study

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Oncology
• Orthopedics

Background:

• Elastofibroma dorsi (ED) is a rare, slow-growing benign soft tissue tumor.
• Typically located beneath the scapula, ED is often asymptomatic and incidentally discovered.
• Characteristic imaging features are crucial for differentiating ED from malignant conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the demographic, clinical, and imaging characteristics of Elastofibroma dorsi.
• To identify factors associated with lesion size and symptom presentation in ED patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective observational study using archived imaging and clinical records (2013-2016, 2022-2024).
• Inclusion criteria: clear scapular/axillary views, complete clinical data; exclusion: poor quality, prior surgery, malignancy.
• Independent radiologist evaluation, quantitative lesion assessment, and statistical analysis of clinical and imaging variables.

Main Results:

• ED prevalence of 1.1% in 13,042 imaging records; 69% of patients were women, mean age 62.7 years.
• Unilateral lesions correlated with handedness; 63.3% of patients were asymptomatic.
• Larger lesions found in heavy manual labor occupations and symptomatic patients; dominant side lesions were larger in bilateral cases.

Conclusions:

• Elastofibroma dorsi is more prevalent in women and often asymptomatic, typically presenting unilaterally.
• Occupational physical activity and lesion size are positively correlated.
• Larger lesions are associated with symptoms, and dominant-sided lesions are larger in bilateral presentations.