title: Solitary fibrous tumors of the pleura: clinical, radiological, surgical and pathological evaluation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report a clinicopathological series of cases of solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura from Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical data was collected from a review of medical records and telephone interviewing for follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight patients, three men and five women aging from 34 to 71 years, underwent tumor resection and were followed in a period from 7 months to 13.5 years. Six patients underwent standard thoracotomy and two had VATS for tumor excision. Tumors were pathologically benign in seven patients and malignant in one. Patients were all alive with no evidence of tumor recurrence at the time of this report.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  One should always consider SFTPs as potentially malignant tumors. Complete resection remains the mainstay of cure. Standard thoracotomy should always be considered when a high suspicion of malignancy is raised, whereas VATS may be a preferred approach for smaller tumors.
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tzao
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Y L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018218:Neoplasms, Fibrous Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013624:Taiwan; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted; D013908:Thoracotomy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed