title: Acute respiratory distress caused by a giant mediastinal lipoblastoma in a 16-month-old boy.
abstract: Lipoblastoma is a rare benign tumor arising from embryonic fat; it occurs mainly in the extremities and almost exclusively in infants and children younger than 3 years. We present a case of giant mediastinal lipoblastoma in a 16-month-old boy who presented with acute respiratory distress. The mass was completely excised through a left posterolateral thoracotomy. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the pathologic final diagnosis was lipoblastoma. Although extremely rare, mediastinal lipoblastoma can be life threatening; therefore, it should be included in the differential diagnosis of mediastinal mass in younger subjects.
authors: Unit of Thoracic Surgery, Ospedale Civile Maggiore, Verona, Italy. c.benato@libero.it
authors: Cristiano
authors: C
authors: Benato
authors: Giovanni
authors: G
authors: Falezza
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Lonardoni
authors: Giovanni
authors: G
authors: Magnanelli
authors: Michela
authors: M
authors: Ricci
authors: Eliana
authors: E
authors: Gilioli
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Calabrò
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008067:Lipoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000209:etiology*