Abstract
BACKGROUND: Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) of the chest mainly arises from the pleura, but intrapulmonary SFT is rare. This study aimed to review and discuss the chest multislice computed tomography (MSCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of intrapulmonary SFT and summarize existing literature on the disease in order to improve clinicians' understanding and diagnosis of this disease. METHODS: The imaging findings and clinical data of 4 surgically and pathologically confirmed intrapulmonary SFT cases were retrospectively analyzed in terms of location, morphology, size, density, border, enhancement level of the lesion, and its relationship with surrounding tissue. These findings were combined with a review of 61 cases reported in the literature to characterize the features of intrapulmonary SFT. RESULTS: A total of 65 patients with intrapulmonary SFT were reviewed, consisting of 30 females and 35 males. Of these cases, 21 had a lesion in the left lower lobe, more than in any other part of the lungs. The lesions were clear, had a quasicircular boundary, and were distinctly separated from surrounding tissue. Under plain scan, the 4 cases investigated in this study showed lesions of even density, and enhanced scanning revealed geographic enhancement in 2 cases. Of the 65 cases examined, 56 cases were benign, and the remaining 9 cases were borderline or malignant. CONCLUSIONS: The imaging findings of intrapulmonary SFT demonstrated certain features, such as lesions with a clear boundary and even density. Imaging examination is important for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of this disease.