Chest
Medical ImagingPleural Lipoma: Diagnosis by Computed Tomography
Section snippets
Patients and Methods
We reviewed the data base of some 4,000 chest CT scans from four Boston hospitals from 1978 to 1984 for the mention of “fatty lesions.” We found six that qualified as lipoma according to the following criteria: (1) typical CT features of a pleural mass: a smooth, well-defined border abutting the lungs, tapering margins with the chest wall, and contact with the pleura over at least one quarter of the mass's circumference; (2) the density of the pleural lesion was completely homogeneous and equal
Results
In all cases, the abnormalities were found incidentally as part of a hospital admission film or a baseline study for a rionpulmonary diagnostic evaluation. The mean age was 64.3 years with a range of 55 to 73. Four were men. Fifty percent of the patients were obese. None had chest pain or dyspnea. Two who were smokers had productive cough, one of whom had rhonchi. No pleural rubs or crackles were heard.
The lesions ranged in size from 2 to 4 cm. Five of the six were identified along the lateral
Discussion
Intrathoracic lipoma was first described in 1781. Lipomas occur in the pleura, mediastinum, lung parenchyma, and bronchi, and some may have an “hour glass” appearance.1, 2 Pleural lipomas are generally asymptomatic and often found incidentally on chest roentgenograms. A specific preoperative diagnosis has not been possible, and the only reliable diagnostic method has been exploratory thoracotomy.
The standard chest roentgenogram may not permit accurate localization of focal lesions to the
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Focal Pleural Lesions
2023, Seminars in RoentgenologyImaging of the Pleura: CT, MRI and PET
2021, Encyclopedia of Respiratory Medicine, Second EditionPleural lipomatosis: An often-forgotten intrathoracic tumor
2020, Radiology Case ReportsCitation Excerpt :Endobronchial, lung parenchymal, and mediastinal lipomas are most common. Pleural lipomas, which originate from the submesothelial layer of parietal pleura, are exceptionally rare with only approximately twenty cases ever reported in the literature [1–21]. It is difficult to directly define the incidence of pleural lipomas in relation to other intrathoracic lipomas; however, it is estimated that only 1.6%-2.3% of all mediastinal tumors are intrathoracic lipomas [13].
Pleural tumours and tumour-like lesions
2018, Clinical RadiologyCitation Excerpt :Most frequently they are found incidentally. These lesions represent encapsulated mature adipose tissue that is well-defined and tend to have a slow growing pattern.1,7,33 On MRI there is characteristic fatty signal intensity with signal suppression on fat-saturated sequences.
A case of a migrating pleural lipoma: The beginning of a thoracolith?
2015, Clinical ImagingRare Pleural Tumors
2013, Clinics in Chest Medicine