Giant benign solitary fibrous tumour of the pleura (> 15 cm): role of radiological pathological correlations in management. Report of 3 cases and review of the literature.

Objectives: Solitary fibrous tumour pleura (SFTP) is a localized tumour arising from the submesothelial areolar mesenchyme. In the present study, we defined "giant" lesions with diameter greater than 15 cm. We have studied the role of radiological-histological correlations of three cases in the management of the disease with review of the literature.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of the clinical records of three patients who had undergone surgical resection for giant benignant SFTP between 2007 and 2011.

Results: Three symptomatic patients (all woman, mean age 80 years) with a giant benign SFTP (mean diameter 19.3 cm and mean weight 1290 gm) underwent surgery with full excision of the tumour. All tumours showed histological features of benignancy and intense immunopositivity for CD34.

Conclusions: The integration of CT and pathological findings is essential in the optimal management of giant benign SFTP. Chest radiograph and CT cannot differentiate between benign and malignant giant SFTP. Surgical resection is necessary to determine the nature of tumour. The immunohistochemical staining pattern assists in differentiating SFTPs from other spindle cell neoplasms of the pleura including diffuse malignant mesothelioma. The choice of surgical approach is determined by the location of the tumour and by spatial relations in the imaging study rather than by the radiologist's impressions. Recurrence after complete resection is possible in giant benign SFTP, as a consequence of incomplete excision. Long-term follow-up is highly recommended because of the possibility of late recurrence. Due to rarity of these tumours, further studies and multicentre trials are needed to confirm these preliminary findings.