Spontaneous hypoglycaemia and pleural fibroma: role of insulin like growth factors

Giant solitary fibrous tumour of the pleura an unpredictable entity: case series and literature review

A small proportion of tumours can undergo malignant transformation. We report a case series of five patients diagnosed with giant solitary fibrous tumours of the pleura. These cases highlight the unpredictable nature of this disease process, with significant variability in clinical course observed, from indolence to aggressive progression. Three patients were found to have malignant disease on explant, with two of these having preoperative imaging and histology suggesting benign pathology. This finding emphasises that accurately differentiating between benign and malignant disease on imaging and/or biopsy has low specificity and sensitivity and cannot be relied upon in guiding the management of these tumours. Patients with solitary fibrous tumours of the pleura should be managed cautiously, owing to the unpredictable and potentially aggressive clinical course. We would advocate the position that all patients with solitary fibrous tumours of the pleura should be managed as if they have malignant disease. Prolonged follow-up is required due to the risk of disease recurrence, even in patients with benign disease.

A case of huge solitary fibrous tumor with hypoglycemia

We report the case of a 64-year-old man with a huge solitary fibrous pleural tumor who presented with breathlessness and recurrent severe symptomatic hypoglycemia. The tumor was safely removed in toto via a median sternotomy. The patient had an uneventful postoperative recovery and no recurrent hypoglycemia.

Giant solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura

Solitary fibrous tumors are rare mesenchymal tumors accounting for <5% of all neoplasms in the pleura and other sites. A 45-year-old man reported to us with cough and dyspnea. Radiological investigations revealed a giant mass displacing the mediastinum to the left. The tumor weighing 3.0 kg was successfully resected via a right thoracotomy. Histology and immunohistochemistry confirmed a benign tumor. Recurrence and malignant transformation of these benign tumors have been reported. Our patient has been followed up for 4 years with no recurrence.

Management of non-islet-cell tumor hypoglycemia: a clinical review

CONTEXT

Non-islet cell tumor hypoglycemia (NICTH) is a rare but serious paraneoplastic syndrome in which a tumor secretes high molecular weight IGF-II, causing hypoglycemia. Complete tumor resection is curative but is often delayed or unfeasible. There is no clear "standard of care" for managing these patients.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

PubMed searches were conducted for: "non-islet-cell tumor hypoglycemia," "NICTH," "Doege-Potter," "Doege-Potter syndrome," "high molecular weight IGF-II," and "big IGF-II." Relevant articles were reviewed in detail. We limited our review to English-language articles, focusing on 1988-2013 (corresponding with the elucidation of the pathophysiology of NICTH).

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

The available literature exists as case reports or small case series, with a void of higher-order treatment studies. Thus, an evidence-based approach to data synthesis was difficult. Nevertheless, the available literature is presented objectively with an attempt to describe clinically useful trends and findings in the management of NICTH.

CONCLUSIONS

Appropriate identification of NICTH and prompt and complete tumor resection represents ideal management. However, when prompt resection is not feasible, iv glucose or dextrose often does not suffice to prevent hypoglycemia. In such cases, we suggest consideration of local antitumor therapies for disease control and trial of glucocorticoids alone or in combination with GH. Continuous glucagon infusion can be successful if the patient has a positive response to a glucagon stimulation test, and parenteral nutrition may allow higher glucose delivery, but both are limited by the need for continuous iv infusion. Diazoxide and octreotide have no role in NICTH.

Solitary Fibrous Tumors of the Pleura: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Background

Solitary fibrous tumors of the pleura are rare and slow-growing neoplasms originating from the mesenchymal tissue underlying the mesothelial layer of the pleura. These tumors may have an unpredictable clinical course. Most cases occur in the sixth or seventh decades of life with no gender predilection, and more than 80% of cases are benign. The predominant clinical symptoms and signs are dyspnea, cough, chest pain, finger clubbing and hypoglycemia. However, because many patients are asymptomatic, the incidence rates are affected by the likelihood of its incidental detection, often through medical imaging of the chest. Surgical resection is the treatment of choice and is usually curative, even though local recurrence can occur many years after an adequate resection.

Methods

We reviewed the literature by performing a computerized search of MEDLINE, CANCERLIT and Embase with the terms fibrous tumor, pleura, surgery, immunohistochemical analysis. Articles and abstracts were also identified by back-referencing from other relevant papers.

Results

The clinical, radiological and pathological features of a 48-year-old woman with a primary solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura are reviewed and a literature search for other reported cases has been performed.

Conclusions

Although localized fibrous tumors of the pleura are considered histologically benign, there is a risk of recurrence and malignant transformation. Complete surgical resection is mandatory and long-term clinical and radiological follow-up is indicated in all patients. For malignant cases complete surgical resection may not be adequate and studies are needed to define the role of preoperative and postoperative systemic treatment. Diagnosis is very difficult in limited samples such as fine-needle aspiration or needle-core tissue biopsy, and immunohistochemical analysis may be useful to differentiate solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura from mesothelioma and other similar tumors.

Primary pleural squamous cell carcinoma misdiagnosed as localized mesothelioma: a case report and review of the literature

Primary pleural squamous cell carcinoma is very rare, and there is a lack of experience in the diagnosis and treatment of this condition. An asymptomatic 75-year-old man was referred to us after a right pleural nodule was found on computed tomography during a routine health examination. He underwent surgery for his pleural tumor twice over the following 2 years. Histopathological examination eventually led to a diagnosis of primary pleural squamous cell carcinoma.

[Doege-Potter syndrome. about one new case]

Syndrome Doege-Potter is a paraneoplastic syndrome in which hypoglycemia is the result of tumors producing insulin growth factor-like (IGF-II) it is most often solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura (TFSP). These are rare and may be discovered incidentally, during non-specific respiratory symptoms or during hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia occurs in tumors of large volume and it disappears after surgery, which is the treatment of choice for a permanent cure in most cases. We present a case of Doege-Potter syndrome whose interest is to consider the TFSP as a cause of hypoglycemia in patients with pleural tumors.

Giant solitary fibrous tumour of pleura -an uncommon intrathoracic entity- a case report and review of the literature

A 43-year-old woman presented to us with progressive breathlessness, dry cough and weight loss. A chest radiograph showed homogeneous opacification of the entire left hemithorax. A contrast enhanced computed tomography (CECT) scan of the thorax showed a large intrathoracic mass occupying almost the entire left hemithorax and appeared grossly inoperable. A transcutaneous CT guided tru-cut biopsy revealed a solitary fibrous tumour. We reviewed the CT scans based on the biopsy report, and, in retrospect, the mediastinal vessels seemed more stretched and pushed by the tumor rather than directly infiltrated by it. We performed an exploratory thoracotomy and to our surprise, were able to dissect the mass quite easily off the mediastinum. She had an uneventful postoperative recovery, and the final histopathology confirmed a solitary fibrous tumor. We report this case to emphasize that a cursory clinico-radiological interpretation can dissuade surgical intervention in these patients.

Surgically cured hypoglycemia secondary to pleural solitary fibrous tumour: case report and update review on the Doege-Potter syndrome

The association of paraneoplastic hypoglycemia [Doege-Potter syndrome] and finger clubbing [Pierre-Marie-Bamberg syndrome] with pleural solitary fibrous tumour is rare. We present a previously unpublished but typical example of this rare occurrence together with a detailed updated literature review of previously published cases of pleural SFT discussing the histopathology of SFT; pathophysiology of the hypoglycemia and finger clubbing; treatment and outcome of pleural SFT. The patient, a 57-year-old African male was admitted at our hospital with recurrent episodes of hypoglycemia. He was found to have digital clubbing and decreased breath sounds in the right lower chest but no other significant clinical findings. His insulin level measured during an episode of hypoglycemia was undetectable. Chest radiograph and CT-scan revealed a lobulated mass in the right chest which was diagnosed to be SFT on histology. Surgical excision of the mass resulted in cure of the hypoglycemic episodes and rapid regression of the clubbing. Less than 65 cases of pleural SFT manifesting with hypoglycemia with or without finger-clubbing have been published in the English literature. The mean diameter of these tumours manifesting with hypoglycemia is 20 cm, 54% being benign while 42% were malignant. They predominantly present in the 6th-8th decade, average age of 64 years and a slight male preponderance at 58%. Complete surgical resection remains the most important predictor of clinical outcome in terms of recurrence and metastases, while providing instant cure for the hypoglycemia and rapid resolution of the finger clubbing.

Giant localized fibrous tumours of the pleura: Report of three subsequent cases

Localized fibrous tumours of the pleura (LFTP) represent clinical entities rarely encountered, especially in giant forms. We report of three cases of giant localized fibrous tumours of the pleura found last year in a short time. The patients underwent surgery by thoracotomy. All tumours arose from visceral pleura and were radically excised by a wedge resection of the lung. The patients discharged from the hospital after a short postoperative period without complications. Two of three giant localized fibrous tumours were classified as benign forms; in one case a malignant characteristic was found.

[Clinical aspects and diagnosis of pleural fibromas]

Pleural fibromas are rare malignant or benign tumors requiring pathology study for certain diagnosis. From January 1985 to January 2001, 7 patients underwent surgery in our unit for pleural fibroma: 4 females and 3 males, mean age 60 years. The inaugural symptoms were chest pain (3 patients), dyspnea (2 patients), joint pain in a patient with Pierre-Marie pneumonic hypertrophic osteo-arthropathy, and acute hypoglycemia. Radiological investigations were decisive in orienting the diagnosis (chest X-ray, ultrasound, computed tomography and MRI). Surgical resection and pathological study of the surgical specimen is required to confirm the diagnosis. Patients should be carefully followed due to the risk of malignant recurrence.

[Hypoglycemia associated with pleural fibromas. Study of insulin-like growth factors (IGF) and pathogenic considerations]

PURPOSE

Pathogeny of hypoglycemia associated with non-islet-cell tumors is unclear. We discuss the mechanisms of this syndrome.

CURRENT KNOWLEDGE AND KEY POINTS

We report three cases of spontaneous hypoglycemia revealing pleural fibroma. Endocrine tests before surgery showed low serum growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), reduced serum IGF-II levels in two patient. Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) was low and electrophoretic profile of IGF-II was the 'big IGF-II' type. We discuss the mechanisms of hypoglycemia associated with non-islet-cell tumor. Impaired formation of the ternary complexes and its consequences seem the main pathogenic factor.

FUTURE PROSPECTS AND PROJECTS

Analysis of IGF and IGFBP and in situ measurements of IGF mRNA could help in understanding this syndrome and allow therapeutic considerations in the management of hypoglycemia by corticosteroids and growth hormone.

Localized (solitary) fibrous tumors of the pleura: an analysis of 55 patients

BACKGROUND

Localized (solitary) fibrous tumors (LFTPs) of the pleura are rare, slow-growing neoplasms thought to originate from submesothelial connective tissue. The aim of this article is to present 55 new cases of LFTP, and to discuss the treatment of choice and the clinical behavior of such neoplasms.

METHODS

From July 1990 to November 1999, 55 patients (32 male, 23 female) with an LFTP were surgically treated at our Institution. Neoplasms were considered to be malignant if one or more of the following histologic features were present: high cellularity with crowding and overlapping of nuclei; high mitotic activity; or mild, moderate, or marked pleomorphism.

RESULTS

No operative mortality was reported. Forty-eight of the cases arose from the visceral pleura and seven arose from the parietal pleura. A local removal of the neoplasm with free surgical margins was accomplished by video-assisted thoracic surgery in 39 patients and by standard thoracotomy in 10 patients. Four patients underwent formal lung resections, 1 had thymectomy, and 1 had en bloc chest wall resection. Four malignant variants were identified. One patient developed local recurrence and underwent redo surgery with chest wall resection. One patient died of unrelated disease. The remaining patients are alive and disease free at a median follow-up of 53.2 months.

CONCLUSIONS

LFTPs show a benign outcome in most of the cases. Video-assisted thoracic surgery, with intraoperative assessment of the surgical margins, represents the treatment of choice.