Clinical analysis of CT and MRI Features of Solitary Fibrous Tumour of the Soft Tissues

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to report and analyze outcomes associated twenty-eight patients’ in-hospital evaluation of the computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) in various anatomic regions.Methods: A number of twenty-eight patients whose clinical data, imaging finding, pathological and immune histochemical findings and with proven SFTs were retrospectively reviewed of the first affiliated hospital of Anhui medical university of January 2012 to 2015 were identified and included for analysis. Twenty-one patients (17 with contrast) had undergone CT scan while 7 (4 with contrast) had undergone MRI. Image characteristics and pattern of enhancement on CT and MRI were analyzed and compared with histopathological findings and multivariate analysis.Results: Among 28 patients, 12 SFTs occurred in the thoracic cavity, 4 in the mediastinum, 3 in the retroperitoneum, 2 in the meanings while a single SFT was found in other 7 organs. They appeared as a solitary mass with an oval or irregular shape, well-defined or ill-defined margin. The size ranged from 1.5 ×1.0 cm2 to 23.0 × 16.5 cm2. Plain CT revealed homogeneous iso-density in 10 and heterogeneous iso-density in 11 cases. Out of the 17 contrast enhanced cases, 11 cases showed slight enhancement and 6 showed marked heterogeneous enhancements during the arterial phase (AP). Progressive and prolonged enhancement was observed in the dynamic contrasted scan. Most of tumors (14/17) exhibited serpentine vessel sign in AP. Hypo- or iso-intensity on T1WI and hyper-or isointensity onT2WI were revealed on MRI. Six cases (6/7) showed the flow voids sign on T2WI.Conclusion: SFTs typically present as large, well-defined, heterogeneous, progressively enhancing mass in pleural and extra-pleural regions. The valuable diagnostic features are serpentine vessels in arterial phase (CT) and flow voids sign on T2WI (MRI).