Intrathoracic fibrolipoma resected using complete thoracoscopic surgery: a case report

BACKGROUND: Other than adipocytes, lipomas may contain mesodermal components such as varying proportions of fibrous tissues and blood vessels. Fibrolipoma is an uncommon variant of lipoma and comprises a high proportion of fibrous components. An intrathoracic fibrolipoma is extremely rare; to the best of our knowledge, only three such cases have been reported till date. CASE PRESENTATION: A 51-year-old female presented with a left intrathoracic mass, which was confirmed to be a lipomatous tumor using computed tomography. A pedunculated tumor originating from the parietal pleura was resected using complete thoracoscopic surgery. Pathological examination indicated a diagnosis of fibrolipoma. Intrathoracic fibrolipomas are extremely rare; this is one of the first reported cases of successfully resecting an intrathoracic fibrolipoma using complete thoracoscopic surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The tumor was asymptomatic and relatively small when detected during a medical checkup. This enabled the successful resection of the tumor via complete thoracoscopic surgery. Although fibrolipomas are histologically benign, careful observation and follow-up are essential owing to the possibility of recurrence.