An unusual tumor of the neck and mediastinum: lipoblastomatosis resulting in paraparesis

Abstract

Lipoblastomatous tumors are quite rare neoplasms deriving from embryonic white fatty tissues, most often seen in infancy and childhood. Lipoblastoma is the focal and well-circumscribed type, whereas lipoblastomatosis is the more infiltrating type of lipoblastomatous tumors. We present a 14-month-old male infant presenting with a mediastinal mass showing paraparesis, who had previously undergone the removal of the cervical part of this mediastinal mass. We removed the mediastinal part of the mass with a posterolateral thoracotomy which proved to be a lipoblastomatosis. We emphasize that this very uncommon tumor located at the neck and mediastinum should be included in the differential diagnosis of infants having gait disturbance.