Solitary Fibrous Tumors of the Pleura of the Thorax: CT and FDG PET Characteristics in a Tertiary Referral Center.

This study was conducted to describe the characteristics of a solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura (SFTP) on chest CT, and FDG PET. Furthermore, we analyze the prognosis of SFTP using large data confirmed in a tertiary referral hospital. From January 1997 to March 2012, 41 patients (21 males and 20 females; median age: 59 yr; age range: 27-85 yr) who were pathologically diagnosed with SFTP were consecutively examined. The CT findings, including the size, shape, homogeneity, and anatomic location (chest wall, intrapulmonary/fissure space, diaphragm, and mediastinum) of the SFTP, the F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) findings, and the histopathology findings were evaluated. Most of the patients had a mass-type (70.7%), oval/elliptical (80.5%), and homogeneous (70.7%) SFTP with a median diameter of 6.0 cm (range: 1-17). The most common anatomic location was the chest wall (43.9%), followed by the intrapulmonary/fissure space (22.0%), diaphragm (22.0%), and mediastinum (12.3%). For all the 9 patients, the mean maxSUV was 2.9 (SD = 1.16; range: 1.2-4.9) on FDG PET. The malignant SFTP (median: 3.6, range: 2.5-4.9) showed more hypermetabolic than benign SFTP (median: 2.0, range: 1.2-3.1) (P = 0.049). Through familiarity with the various features of the SFTP with regard to its size and location on the preoperative CT and FDG PET, we can add this rare pleural neoplasm to the differential diagnosis of other more common conditions. Moreover, an appropriate treatment choice can be made.