Rare tumour of the thoracic wall: Elastofibroma

Abstract

Soft tissue tumours of the thoracic wall are a rare entity. Elastofibroma which occurs mainly in women, is commonly localized in the subscapular region, and is characterized by slow growth. We report the case of a 64-year-old woman who presented with a soft tissue tumour located in the right pectoral region, anterior chest wall. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a tumour on the right anterolateral thoracic wall that measured 5x4x5 cm with contrast enhancement. The findings were suggestive of partial infiltration of pectoral and intercostal muscles and were suspicious of a malignant tumour. The patient underwent complete resection of the tumour at a district hospital. The tumour was resected with clear surgical margins and minimum defect of the pectoral muscles. The specimen measured 4x4x3 cm and histopathology showed a lesion composed of fibrotic connective tissue of low cellularity with strongly eosinophilic, partially swollen, and plump fibers. Histology from the specimen was consistent with elastofibroma.