Giant Pleural Tumor And Severe Hypoglycemia: Doege-Potter Syndrome In A Previously Healthy Female

Rev Port Cir Cardiotorac Vasc. 2020 Jul-Sep;27(3):223-226.

Abstract

AIntroduction: Doege-Potter's syndrome is a rare paraneoplastic syndrome, consisting in hypoglycemia and solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura. These tumors represent < 5% of all pleural tumours and can only be cured by surgery. In this article, we report a case of a patient presenting with severe hypoglycemia, as the only symptom, and a mass occupying the entire left hemithorax. Case presentation: A54 year old female with severe hypoglycemia, a chest radiography with almost total opacification of the left hemithorax and a computed tomography scan with a mass in the left hemithorax. Surgery was performed and a mass with 30cm × 18cm × 11cm weighing 3195g was resected. The postoperative course was uneventful with immediate resolution of the hypoglycemia. The immunohistochemistry diagnosis was solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura. Conclusions: Solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura are very rare. Less than 5% are associated with hypoglycemia, taking the form of Doege-Potter Syndrome. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy have shown low response rate and complete surgical resection is the only procedure that offers cure. This case reports describes a rare giant solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura with severe hypoglycemia, successfully treated by surgery. Long-term follow-up of the patient after the surgery is necessary for detection of any possible recurrence.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Congenital Abnormalities
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hypoglycemia* / etiology
  • Kidney / abnormalities
  • Kidney Diseases* / congenital
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
  • Pleural Neoplasms* / complications
  • Pleural Neoplasms* / diagnostic imaging
  • Pleural Neoplasms* / surgery

Supplementary concepts

  • Hereditary renal agenesis