Elastofibroma dorsi management and outcomes: review of 16 cases

OBJECTIVES :E lastofibroma dorsi (ED) is a rare, benign lesion arising from connective tissue, usually found at the inferior pole of the scapula. To date, only a few small series have been reported in the English literature and there are few data about the long-term outcomes after surgery. Our goal is to contribute a better understanding of this tumour and to determine the long-term outcomes after surgery. METHODS: Sixteen patients with a diagnosis of ED were identified from the unit’s database. The clinical presentation, diagnosis, pathological evidences and long-term outcomes were evaluated. RESULTS: There were 11 females and 5 males with a mean age of 61.1 years (range 38–78 years). The tumour was located on the right in 5 (31.2%) patients, on the left in 6 (37.5%) patients and bilaterally in 5 (31.2%). Six patients had painful scapular swelling resulting in restrictio no f movement of the shoulder whereas 10 reported only painful scapular mass. All 16 patients underwent complete resections. The tumour size ranged from 3 to 15 cm. The mean hospital stay was 3.1 ± 1.4 days with a morbidity of 18.75% (seroma observed in 3 patients). The mean followup was 58.4 ± 29.5 months (range 11–92 months). In 2 patients (12.5%) a new occurrence on the contralateral side was observed at the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS :E lastofibroma dorsi is a rare, ill-defined, pseudotumoural lesion of the soft tissues. Surgical treatment can be proposed if the lesion is symptomatic. Furthermore, at the follow-up, the possibility of new occurrences on the contralateral side should be kept in mind.