ABSTRACT
Solitary fibrous tumors are benign neoplasms of mesenchymal origin. They usually arise from the visceral or parietal pleura and peritoneum, although they have been found in many areas throughout the body. We report a case of solitary fibrous tumor of the parapharyngeal space. Microscopically, the tumor contained spindle cells with areas of marked hypercellularity without a definitepattern. Consistent with a benign lesion, there were few mitoses and no necrosis. The tumor cells stained strongly positive for CD34 and vimentin. At the 2-year follow-up, the patient was well and free of local and/or distant disease.
Subject(s)
Hemangiopericytoma/pathology , Hemangiopericytoma/surgery , Neoplasms, Fibrous Tissue/pathology , Neoplasms, Fibrous Tissue/surgery , Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures/methods , Pharyngeal Neoplasms/pathology , Pharyngeal Neoplasms/surgery , Adult , Hemangiopericytoma/immunology , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Male , Neoplasms, Fibrous Tissue/immunology , Pharyngeal Neoplasms/immunologyABSTRACT
Infective endocarditis causes a myriad number of serious complications. Mitral valve obstruction is a rare complication. We report a 48-year-old Asian female who presented with two-week duration of fever and rapidly developed acute pulmonary edema and cardiogenic shock. Sequential transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography revealed a rapidly growing vegetation on the anterior mitral leaflet with severe stenosis of the valve. All the blood cultures were negative. The patient underwent a successful mitral valve replacement. A review of 21 previously reported cases of mitral valve obstruction from endocarditis demonstrates the poor prognosis of this entity and supports early surgery.