Imaging characteristics of pleural tumours

Insights Imaging. 2015 Dec;6(6):729-40. doi: 10.1007/s13244-015-0441-x. Epub 2015 Oct 16.

Abstract

Malignant mesothelioma is doubtless the more known pleural tumour. However, according to the morphology code of the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology (ICD-O), there are several histological types of pleural neoplasms, divided into mesothelial, mesenchymal and lymphoproliferative tumours, that may be misdiagnosed. In this paper we summarise and illustrate the incidence aspects and the clinical, pathological and radiological features of these neoplasms.

Teaching points: • According to the ICD-O, there are 11 different histological types of pleural neoplasm. • Imaging, clinical and histopathological aspects of these neoplasms may be overlapping. • Knowledge of different pleural tumours plays an important role for diagnosis orientation.

Keywords: Malignant mesothelioma; Pleural neoplasm; Primary effusion lymphoma; Solitary fibrous tumour; Synovial sarcoma.