Two patients with TAFRO syndrome exhibiting strikingly similar anterior mediastinal lesions with predominantly fat attenuation on chest computed tomography

Respir Investig. 2017 Mar;55(2):176-180. doi: 10.1016/j.resinv.2016.10.003. Epub 2016 Nov 23.

Abstract

We herein report on two middle-aged men with TAFRO (thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever, reticulin fibrosis or renal failure, and organomegaly) syndrome, a unique clinicopathological variant of multicentric Castleman׳s disease recently proposed in Japan. Strikingly similar anterior mediastinal fat swellings with soft tissue density were observed in the patients on chest computed tomography. In TAFRO syndrome, bilateral pleural effusion and slight lymph node swelling are common in the thoracic region; however, anterior mediastinal lesions have not been previously observed. Although the mechanisms of anterior mediastinal lesions have not been defined, these lesions seem to have a close relationship with TAFRO syndrome.

Keywords: Anterior mediastinal lesion; Multicentric Castleman׳s disease; Plasma exchange; TAFRO syndrome.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adipose Tissue / diagnostic imaging
  • Adipose Tissue / pathology
  • Adult
  • Edema / diagnostic imaging*
  • Edema / pathology
  • Fever / diagnostic imaging*
  • Fever / pathology
  • Fibrosis / diagnostic imaging
  • Fibrosis / pathology
  • Humans
  • Lymph Nodes / diagnostic imaging
  • Lymph Nodes / pathology
  • Male
  • Mediastinum* / pathology
  • Middle Aged
  • POEMS Syndrome / diagnostic imaging
  • POEMS Syndrome / pathology
  • Radiography, Thoracic*
  • Renal Insufficiency / diagnostic imaging
  • Renal Insufficiency / pathology
  • Reticulin
  • Syndrome
  • Thrombocytopenia / diagnostic imaging*
  • Thrombocytopenia / pathology
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed*

Substances

  • Reticulin