Synovial Sarcoma, Pleural

Synonyms

Malignant synovioma; Synovial cell sarcoma; Synovioblastic sarcoma

Definition

Synovial sarcoma is a malignant mesenchymal spindle cell tumor, which can display areas of epithelial differentiation. Synovial sarcoma in the pleura or lung is often a metastasis from an extrapulmonary site, but can occur in the absence of a primary tumor elsewhere.

Clinical Features

• Incidence

  Primary pleural synovial sarcoma is a rare tumor with fewer than 50 cases reported.

• Age

  Primary pleural synovial sarcoma usually presents in young- to middle-aged adults.

• Sex

  No gender predilection has been observed.

• Site

  Primary synovial sarcoma of the pleura can involve the upper or lower lung lobes.

• Treatment

  A multimodal treatment approach including surgical resection, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy is recommended.

• Outcome

  Prognosis is generally poor with nearly half of patients dying of disease within 2 years; however, if the lesion is localized, the prognosis appears to be significantly better than with...