Clinical features, imaging findings, treatment aspects of elastofibroma dorsi and long-term outcomes after surgical resection

M. Bartocci, C. Dell’Atti, E. Meacci, M.T. Congedo, N. Magarelli, L. Bonomo, A. Leone

Department of Radiological Sciences, Catholic University of the “Sacred Heart”, Polyclinic Gemelli Foundation, School of Medicine, Rome, Italy. margheritabartocci@libero.it

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• Oncology

OBJECTIVE: We aim to present clinical features, imaging findings, treatment aspects of the elastofibroma dorsi (ED), which is a benign tumor arising from connective tissue at the scapular region, and long-term outcomes after surgical resection.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: We evaluated retrospectively 82 patients (55 females, 27 males; mean age, 60 years; age range, 23-78 years) with ED who underwent surgery between January 1994 and May 2014; subsequently all patients were invited for follow-up, which consisted of physical and US examinations.

RESULTS: Subscapular location was almost constant (79/82 patients). Right, left and bilateral location was noted in 39, 28 and 15 cases, respectively. 52/82 patients were symptomatic. The diagnosis was made on physical examination and imaging studies: 49 ultrasound, 43 computed tomography and 54 magnetic resonance examinations were performed overall. Surgical treatment consisted in marginal excision; in all cases diagnosis was confirmed by histological examination. The mean hospitalization was 3 days, with minor complications. Out of the 82 patients, only 25 gave their consent to follow-up; mean time passed after surgery was 64.7 months; 1 case of local recurrence was suspected by ultrasound and, then, confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging.

CONCLUSIONS: In our series, clinical features and imaging findings of ED are consistent with current evidence; however, results of our follow-up group marks a difference from the literature, according to which there is no evidence of local recurrence after complete resection. Diagnosis of ED is based on clinical and imaging features; treatment is surgical, especially in symptomatic cases. Prolonging the clinical and US follow-up period may be useful in identifying local recurrence.

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