The aim of the present study was to summarize the clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of solitary fibrous tumor (SFT). In total, 47 cases of SFTs diagnosed by postoperative pathology between January 2002 and September 2014 were retrospectively reviewed, and the general information, clinical manifestations, imaging techniques, treatment, pathology and follow-up findings were analyzed. Of the 47 patients, clinical characteristics were collected in 37 cases (18 men and 19 women; mean age, 44.1 years; age range, 13-72 years). The maximum diameters of the tumors were 1.5-25 cm, with a mean diameter of 8.8 cm. The symptoms were various and non-specific. Imaging examinations following iodinated contrast administration showed the SFTs to be well-defined, cystic or solid mass and enhanced. On color Doppler ultrasound, SFTs were described as hypoechoic, clear, irregular masses. All patients underwent surgical resection, and SFT was diagnosed by postoperative pathological and immunohistochemical examination. Of the 47 patients, 25 received complete follow-up of 5-130 months, with a median follow-up period of 35.2 months, that included a color Doppler ultrasound or computed tomography (CT) scan every 6-12 months. At the end of the follow-up period all patients were alive and healthy, with the exception of one patient, who presented with recurrence 15 months after surgery. The findings of the present study showed SFT to be a rare systemic disease with no particular clinical manifestations. In the cases reviewed in the present study, CT, magnetic resonance imaging scans and color Doppler ultrasound were important for the diagnosis of SFT, while the definitive diagnosis relied on pathological and immunohistochemical examinations. Surgery, the primary treatment for SFT, was performed, and, following complete removal of the tumor, the prognosis was favorable.
Keywords: clinical analysis; pleura; solitary fibrous tumor.