Mediastinal liposarcoma: a case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Background Mediastinal Liposarcoma (ML) is an exceedingly rare neoplasm, accounting for less than 1% of all liposarcomas. Surgical resection is the most effective therapeutic modality, while adjuvant radiation therapy may be recommended for unresectable tumors. Case presentation This case report presents a rare case of a 52-year-old Syrian male patient with well-differentiated mediastinal liposarcoma (ML) who presented with exertional dyspnea, cough, and weight loss. Imaging studies revealed a large tumor causing extrinsic compression on the right lung, as well as compression of the heart and great vessels. CT-guided biopsy confirmed a diagnosis of well-differentiated liposarcoma, and the patient underwent surgical resection. The patient had a rapid postoperative recovery and was discharged on the fourth day post-operation, displaying an excellent postoperative status. The patient was followed up for 3 months postoperatively with no recurrence. Conclusion This report highlights the significance of incorporating ML into the differential diagnosis of mediastinal masses, particularly in individuals presenting with exertional dyspnea and weight loss. Furthermore, this report provides a comprehensive review of previously reported cases of ML in the medical literature.

Liposarcoma gigante mediastinal. Cirugía radical con abordaje Clamshell y manejo en la Unidad de Cuidados Críticos

“…1 El liposarcoma mediastinal crece de manera silente, engloba vasos sanguíneos, corazón y órganos vecinos, 2 y conduce a la presentación de manifestaciones clínicas cuando es gigante. 3 La tomografía del tórax con contraste suele ser la mejor herramienta para diagnosticar y diseñar la cirugía. 4 Puede complementarse con resonancia magnética del tórax, angiotomografía, eventualmente PET scan para la caracterización del tumor y la extensión de enfermedad.…”

Dedifferentiated Mediastinal Liposarcoma: A Case Report

“…Macroscopically, DDLPs are usually large-sized, multinodular, yellow, solid masses. Taking into consideration the review of Ataya et al, who reported 11 patients with giant tumors equal to or greater than 20 cm and 13 patients with tumors equal to or greater than 10 cm, it is important to mention that mediastinal liposarcomas can obtain a substantial size before becoming symptomatic [ 7 ]. Mediastinal liposarcomas usually arise from the posterior mediastinum, followed by the anterior, as in our patient, and, most rarely, the middle compartment of the mediastinum [ 11 ].…”

“…DDLPs constitute an entity with vague clinical and histopathological characteristics, as well as poor data regarding prognosis and outcome due to their rarity, especially when originating from the mediastinum compartments [ 7 ]. Clinical presentation is non-specific and delayed diagnosis is common due to low-rate growth, leading to symptoms due to tumor invasion and compression of adjacent organs [ 6 ].…”

Approach to Imaging of Mediastinal Masses

“…Lipoma is an encapsulated tumor composed predominantly of fat and contains small blood vessels. Liposarcomas also comprise predominantly fatty tissues but contain varying amounts of soft tissue and may show some aggressive features such as local invasion, locoregional lymphadenopathy and distant metastasis [25,46,47]. Seminomas and nonseminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCT), comprising embryonal carcinoma, choriocarcinoma, yolk sac tumor, mixed germ cell tumors and teratoma with malignant transformation, are malignant germ cell tumors that occur almost exclusively in young men between the ages of 20 to 40 years.…”