A rare mediastinal tumour in a young male mimicking massive pleural effusion

Abstract

A 30-year-old male, carpenter by profession, presented with a history of dry cough and progressive shortness of breath for two months along with right-sided chest pain for one and a half months. The clinico-radiological picture was suggestive of right-sided massive pleural effusion. Computed tomography (CT) scan of the thorax showed a huge mediastinal mass occupying the entire right hemithorax with very small amount of pleural effusion. CT-guided fine needle aspiration cytology and tru-cut biopsy from the mass both revealed small round-cell tumour, possibly small cell carcinoma of the lung. However, on immunohistochemistry tumour cells expressed Mic-2 and it was consistent with a diagnosis of primitive neuroectodermal tumour.

Mesenchymal tumours of the mediastinum—part II

“…As stated above for chondro-osseous tumours, an origin from bony structures such as vertebrae and chest wall must be excluded in order to qualify as primary mediastinal eES/PNET, leading to the exclusion of several reported cases where tumours extended to these structures or where insufficient details were given [ 112 , 231 ]. Less than 20 convincing cases of eES/PNET have been reported in the mediastinum [ 3 , 50 , 74 , 75 , 100 , 102 , 119 , 153 , 164 , 169 , 178 , 231 ]. The cases mostly occurred in young individuals (median age 28 years, range 5–66 years) with equal gender distribution and in all compartments of the mediastinum.…”

Bilateral Ewing Sarcoma/Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor of the Breast: A Very Rare Entity and Review of the Literature

“…Moreover, some reports emphasize that blood-born metastases to the breast are bilateral but often well-defined rounded masses in contrast to the present case [13]. Nevertheless, primary mediastinal PNET, even if uncommon, are mostly located in the posterior than in the anterior mediastinum like other neurogenic tumors [14]. …”

Peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor: a case report

“…However, radiologic findings are nonspecific for the differentiation of PNETs from other types of bone and soft tissue tumors. Nevertheless, in general, their typical appearance resembles large noncalcified, soft tissue masses containing cystic or necrotic areas with heterogeneous contrast enhancement [ 30 ].…”