Journal List > J Korean Soc Radiol > v.63(5) > 1086851

Lee, Lee, Woo, Lee, Kim, and Hong: Posterior Mediastinal Angiolipoma that Presented with Pleural Effusion

Abstract

Angiolipoma is a rare benign tumor composed of mature adipose tissues and blood vessels. It is usually located in the subcutaneous tissue of the trunk, the extremities and the neck, and few cases of angiolipoma have been reported in the mediastinum. We report here on a rare case of posterior mediastinal angiolipoma that presented with pleural effusion.

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1

Posterior mediastinal angiolipoma in 66-year-old woman.

A. On pre-contrast CT scan, the mass (white arrows) is poorly differentiated from the pleural effusion because the density of the mass is similar to that of the fluid (20-30 HU).
B. Post-contrast CT scan demonstrates a strong enhancement (150-200 HU) and internal irregular areas of low attenuation (30-40 HU) in the mass. The right cortex of the vertebral body is eroded by the mass (black arrows).
C. On coronal PET scan, the mass (white arrows) shows moderate increased FDG uptake (SUV : 1~2) higher than that of adjacent soft tissue in the 9th right paravertebral area.
D. Microscopic examination of the surgical specimen shows a tumor composed of mature adipose tissue and thin-walled blood vessels (H & E staining, ×100).
jksr-63-449-g001

References

1. Lin JJ, Lin F. Two entities in angiolipoma. A study of 459 cases of lipoma with review of literature on infiltrating angiolipoma. Cancer. 1974; 34:720–772.
2. Howard WR, Helwig EB. Angiolipoma. Arch Dermatol. 1960; 82:924–931.
3. Kline ME, Patel BU, Agosti SJ. Noninfiltrating angiolipoma of the mediastinum. Radiology. 1990; 175:737–738.
4. Choi JY, Goo JM, Chung MJ, Kim HC, Im JG. Angiolipoma of the posterior mediastinum with extension into the spinal canal: a case report. Korean J Radiol. 2000; 1:212–214.
5. Negri G, Regolo P, Gerevini S, Arrigoni G, Zannini P. Mediastinal dumbbell angiolipoma. Ann Thorac Surg. 2000; 70:957–958.
6. Weill A, del Carpio-O'Donovan R, Tampieri D, Melanson D, Ethier R. Spinal angiolipomas: CT and MR aspects. J Comput Assist Tomogr. 1991; 15:83–85.
7. Lee JY, Lee KS, Han J, Yoon HK, Kim TS, Han BK, et al. Spectrum of neurogenic tumors in the thorax: CT and pathologic findings. J Comput Assist Tomogr. 1999; 23:399–406.
8. McAdams HP, Rosado-de-Christenson ML, Moran CA. Mediastinal hemangioma: radiographic and CT features in 14 patients. Radiology. 1994; 193:399–402.
9. Thomaz FB, Marchiori E, Guimarães AN, de Magalhães IF, Magalhães FV, Gonçalves LP, et al. Primary mediastinal liposarcoma - computed tomography and pathological findings: a case report. Cases J. 2009; 2:8703–8705.
10. Hsu CH, Yang CM, Cheng CJ. Angiolipoma detected by F-18 FDG positron emission tomography. Clin Nucl Med. 2003; 28:604–605.
TOOLS
Similar articles