Elastofibroma of the thoracic wall

Abstract

Soft tissue tumors of the chest wall are rare. Between 1998 and 2007 we treated eight cases of elastofibroma of the thoracic wall, an infrequent primary tumor of the chest. Seven females and one male between 44 and 62 years presented with dorsal subscapular tumors of months and even years of evolution. One case was a relapse from previous interventions and in three cases the tumor was bilateral. A surgical excision was performed in all cases, confirming the source of the tumor. There were no postoperative complications or relapses. We concluded that elastofibroma is a tumor that appears most frequently in middle aged women, and that diagnosis can be established through the use of imaging and fine needle aspiration biopsy. Given its benign character and slow growth, in cases where it is asymptomatic, its evolution can be controlled without surgical intervention.