Case Report
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2021. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Feb 16, 2021; 9(5): 1204-1209
Published online Feb 16, 2021. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i5.1204
Dumbbell-shaped solitary fibrous tumor in the parapharyngeal space: A case report
Yu-Nuo Li, Chun-Lei Li, Zhao-Hui Liu
Yu-Nuo Li, Chun-Lei Li, Zhao-Hui Liu, Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, Guizhou Province, China
Author contributions: Li YN compiled the patient's data, reviewed the literature and wrote the manuscript; Li CL was the patient’s surgeon and provided the patient’s information; Liu ZH was responsible for the review and revision of the manuscript; All authors have issued final approval of the submitted version.
Informed consent statement: The patient gave informed consent. Consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this report and any accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. None of the authors have received funding from any organization with a real or potential interest in the subject matter, materials, equipment, software, or devices discussed.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Zhao-Hui Liu, MD, Chairman, Chief Doctor, Professor, Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, No. 149 Dalian Road, Huichuan District, Zunyi 563000, Guizhou Province, China. rzent@163.com
Received: November 7, 2020
Peer-review started: November 7, 2020
First decision: November 20, 2020
Revised: December 3, 2020
Accepted: December 26, 2020
Article in press: December 26, 2020
Published online: February 16, 2021
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) occurring in the parapharyngeal space are rare, and their final diagnosis depends on pathological and immunohistochemical analyses. Once the tumor is diagnosed, complete resection and regular postoperative follow-up are required.

CASE SUMMARY

A 40-year-old male patient with a right parotid gland mass discovered 8 years ago was admitted to hospital. The mass showed no tenderness or local skin redness. Imaging was carried out as the patient had stable vital signs and showed that the mass was a dumbbell-shaped tumor comprising a superficial tumor approximately 5 cm long and 3 cm wide in size that compressed the right parotid gland and a deep tumor located in the right parapharyngeal space approximately 4.5 cm long and 2.5 cm wide in size. Both tumors were connected in the middle. Prior to surgery, the tumors were considered to be parapharyngeal schwannomas. During surgical dissection, the tumors were found to be smooth and tough, without obvious adhesion to the surrounding tissues. The tumors were revealed to be a SFT following postoperative pathological analysis.

CONCLUSION

SFTs in the parapharyngeal space are rarely reported, and complete resection of such tumor is recommended. Adjuvant chemoradiotherapy is used in patients with extensive tumor invasion to lower the recurrence rate. Postoperative long-term follow-up is required.

Keywords: Parapharyngeal space tumor, Solitary fibrous tumor, Pathology and immunohis-tochemistry, Case report

Core Tip: Parapharyngeal space solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is quite rare. In this case study, a dumbbell-shaped SFT in the parapharyngeal space in a male patient is reported. The tumor was completely excised under general anesthesia, and postoperative recovery was uneventful. The diagnosis, pathology and treatment methods of SFTs are discussed in this report.