Malignant solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura slowly growing over 17 years: case report

Although a solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura (SFTP) is a rare disease, and usually has a benign course, it has a malignant potential. We report a case of malignant SFTP treated surgically. A 75-year-old female was admitted with a chief complaint of hemoptysis of two weeks duration. Computed tomography of the chest imaged a large mass in the right hemithorax, which compressed adjacent organs; however, there was no evidence of invasion. We reviewed the patient's medical records and found that the mass had been presented for 17 years. Complete resection was achieved through a right thoracotomy and histopathologic examination confirmed a malignant SFTP.