Spindle Cell Lipoma of the Posterior Neck: A Case Report.

Park, Sun Hee; Yim, Young Min; Jung, Sung No; Kwon, Ho

Case Report

Journal of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons 2009;36(2):233-236.
Published online March 1, 2009.

Spindle Cell Lipoma of the Posterior Neck: A Case Report.

Sun Hee Park, Young Min Yim, Sung No Jung, Ho Kwon

Department of Plastic Surgery, The Catholic University of Korea, College of Medicine, Uijongbu, Korea. niceface@catholic.ac.kr

Abstract

PURPOSE
Spindle cell lipoma(SCL) is an uncommon subcutaneous soft tissue neoplasm that arises in the shoulder and posterior neck of older male patients. The imaging appearance of SCL is not pathognomonic and can display some features overlapping with liposarcoma. We report a case of SCL on the posterior neck. METHODS: The patient is a 50-year-old man with a slowly enlarging subcutaneous mass on the right side of posterior neck. Computed tomographic imaging revealed a 7.0cm sized, well-circumscribed, heterogenous and fatty mass with enhanced solid components. Whole body Fluorine-18 Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron emission tomogram(FDG PET-CT) showed little increase of FDG uptake on the right posterior neck and there was no distant metastasis.
RESULTS
The mass was surgically removed. The resection margin was free of tumor on frozen biopsy. Histopathologic examination indicated spindle cell lipoma consisting of a mixture of mature adipocytes and uniform spindle cells within a matrix of mucinous material.
CONCLUSION
Although CT image of the solitary mass in posterior neck is similar with the one of liposarcoma, we should consider that it may be a spindle cell lipoma if PET-CT and other systemic studies reveal no distant metastasis. And we should perform fine needle aspiration to differentiate SCL from malignant lesions.

Keywords: Spindle cell lipoma; Neck