Primary well differentiated liposarcomas in the mediastinum : two cases and a review of the literature

Well differentiated liposarcoma is a malignant mesenchymal tumor which occurs extremely rarely in the mediastinum, comprising less than 1% of all mediastinal tumor cases. The tumor is indistinguishable radiologically from other neoplasms occurring in the mediastinum including lipoma, teratoma and thymoma. Therefore, histological examination is the most important tool in the diagnostic process. Here, we report two cases of well differentiated liposarcoma in the mediastinum of Asian female. Both of the lesions were radiologically diagnosed as benign tumors, but the histological findings, including significant variation in cell size, focal nuclear atypia in adipocytes, and scattered lipoblasts, supported the diagnosis of well differentiated liposarcoma. Upon reviewing the literature, we have summarized the clinical presentation, prognosis, and treatment of liposarcoma in the mediastinum. We found that Computed tomography (CT) scans are the imaging modality of choice for the diagnosis of such lesions, but ultimately, histological examination is required for a definitive diagnosis.