“Hitting all the right markers to save a life” Solitary fibrous tumors of the central nervous system: Case series and review of the literature

BACKGROUND: Solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) of the central nervous system are uncommon. Their biological features remain largely unknown; hence, the clinical management and prognosis is often challenging due to the lack of comprehensive data. For this reason, we present two cases of large SFTs to illustrate a comprehensive review. METHODS: THIS WAS A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF TWO PATIENTS: a 65-year-old male with a left parietooccipital lesion and a 70-year-old female with a right parietal convexity mass. RESULTS: Gross total resection was performed in the male patient with no recurrence 30 months after resection. The second patient received stereotactic radiosurgery for what was initially thought to be a parafalcine meningioma; however, continued growth 1 year later prompted an open resection, with pathology indicative of an SFT. The tumor recurred the following year requiring repeat resection. Unfortunately, due to the aggressive nature of the lesion, the patient eventually succumbed to tumor burden a year later. CONCLUSION: Based on the literature review, the sometimes observed aggressive growth pattern, and also, the potential for malignant transformation, we recommend complete resection of SFTs with close sequential follow-up.