Magnetic Resonance Imaging Features That Permit Differential Diagnosis of Chest Wall Liposarcoma Mimicking Lipoma in Men

ABSTRACT

Liposarcoma of the chest wall is a rare type of soft-tissue tumor. It is more typically observed in the extremities and retroperitoneum, and infrequently in the head, neck, and inguinal regions. Involvement of the chest wall is rare. Owing to the rarity of chest-wall liposarcomas, differentiating them from other soft-tissue tumors, including lipomas, can be challenging. We report a 50-year-old male patient with well-differentiated liposarcoma of the chest wall. A preoperative dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the breast revealed a circumscribed, fat-containing mass with heterogeneous internal enhancement and thick septa. This unusual case emphasizes the importance of MRI features in effectively differentiating well-differentiated liposarcomas from lipomas for accurate and timely diagnosis such that the appropriate treatment can be administered.