[Anorexia and Weight Loss as First Symptoms of a Solitary Fibrous Tumor of the Pleura]. / Anorexia e Perda Ponderal, Os Primeiros Sintomas de Um Tumor Fibroso Solitário da Pleura.

ABSTRACT

We report the clinical case of a 66 year-old woman with anorexia and weight loss, in whom a giant mass was found in the left pulmonary field. A computorized tomography guided fine-needle biopsy established the diagnosis of a solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura. Surgical resection of a 2655 grams of tumor mass was performed and the pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis. Nine months after surgery, the patient remained free of symptoms and with no evidence of disease recurrence. Solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura is a rare entity with mesenchymal origin. Although most solitary fibrous tumors of the pleura are benign, they possess a malignant potential and thus should be totally excised. Diagnosis is generally incidental, being the majority of the patients asymptomatic. However, extrinsic compression of the solitary fibrous pleural tumor on lung parenchyma may cause symptoms, from which the commonest are cough, dyspnea, and chest pain. The clinical presentation, suggestive of a consumptive and malignant disease reinforced the heterogeneity of this disease and the singularity of this clinical case, thus justifying its presentation.