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. 1998 Oct;171(4):977-80.
doi: 10.2214/ajr.171.4.9762978.

Elastofibroma dorsi: prevalence in an elderly patient population as revealed by CT

E A Brandser  1 , J C Goree, G Y El-Khoury
Affiliations

Elastofibroma dorsi: prevalence in an elderly patient population as revealed by CT

E A Brandser et al. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1998 Oct.

Abstract

Objective: We wanted to determine the prevalence and appearance of elastofibroma dorsi in an elderly patient population (n = 258) who underwent CT of the chest for reasons other than to evaluate posterolateral chest wall pain, stiffness, or a mass.

Conclusion: Five elastofibromas were detected in four patients; none of these elastofibromas were noted at initial examination. Our study suggests that the prevalence of elastofibroma dorsi revealed by CT is 2%, which is lower than the 11-24% found in autopsy series but higher than expected for such a rare tumor. Elastofibroma dorsi typically has a layered appearance on CT; however, in our study, homogeneous soft-tissue attenuation was noted. The diagnosis is often missed prospectively. Familiarity with the location and imaging appearance of elastofibroma dorsi may enhance detection and characterization of posterolateral chest wall masses in elderly patients.

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Comment in

  • Elastofibroma dorsi anatomy.
    Wakeley C. Wakeley C. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1999 Jun;172(6):1693. doi: 10.2214/ajr.172.6.10350320. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1999. PMID: 10350320 No abstract available.