[Tumor of posterior mediastinum - rare case of extramedullar myelolipoma].

CASE REPORT

A 71-year-old male with acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis was treated in summer of 2015. The CT scan has revealed a mass on the right side of 11th thoracic vertebra in the adipose tissue with a sharp edge towards the lung and containing a small amount of contrast agent. The radiologist recommended histological sampling of the mass. The tumor was removed by Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS) in August of 2015. The patient was discharged on the fifth postoperative day without complication. Myelolipoma was diagnosed by histological examination. Recurrence was not detected during the one-year-follow-up period.

DISCUSSION

Myelolipoma is a benign tumor consisting of mature lobulated adipose tissue and hemopoetic bone marrow. It arises mainly from the adrenal gland. Surgical resection is recommended due to the potential of progressive enlargement. Although the extraadrenal myelolipoma is an uncommon entity, in case of mediastinal, encapsulated, slow-growing tumor, myelolipoma should be considered as a differential diagnosis.