Key result
Huge benign intrathoracic lipoma causes near-total lung collapse and mediastinal shift in a 38-year-old woman.
Why the study?
Intrathoracic lipomas are rare benign tumours that may attain considerable size before detection.
Demonstrates the imaging characteristics of a massive intrathoracic lipoma and emphasizes the need for histopathological confirmation to rule out liposarcoma.
Benign intrathoracic lipomas may cause severe compressive collapse; this case extends imaging descriptions but leaves optimal diagnostic thresholds open.
Intrathoracic lipomas are rare benign tumours that may attain considerable size before detection. We report a 38‐year‐old woman in whom a huge intrathoracic lipoma was incidentally identified on chest radiography during preoperative assessment. Computed tomography demonstrated a large, well‐circumscribed fat‐attenuation lesion occupying nearly the entire right hemithorax, causing near‐total lung collapse and mediastinal shift. Image‐guided biopsy confirmed a benign lipoma. This case highlights the characteristic imaging features of intrathoracic lipoma and underscores the importance of histopathological confirmation to exclude liposarcoma, even in asymptomatic patients with marked thoracic compression.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Ing et al. (2026) studied this question. A huge benign intrathoracic lipoma was identified on chest radiography, causing near-total lung collapse and mediastinal shift in a 38-year-old woman.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: