Solitary fibrous tumor in the pterygopalatine fossa: a rare case report and literature review.

Introduction: Solitary fibrous tumor is a rare spindle cell tumor that may occur in various parts of the body. No documented case of solitary fibrous tumor has been reported in pterygopalatine fossa.

Case report: A 25-year-old male complained of right facial numbness for 20 days. Computed tomography of the paranasal sinuses demonstrated a well-circumscribed lesion centered in the right pterygopalatine fossa. On magnetic resonance imaging the lesion was homogenously isointense to muscle on T1 weighted imaging (T1WI) and slightly hyperintense to muscle on T2 weighted (T2WI). The intro-operative frozen pathology reveals a benign spindle cell tumor. The tumor was removed successfully via transnasal combined with Caldwell-Luc approach without complications. However, the final pathology combined with immunohistochemistry confirmed the diagnosis of solitary fibrous tumor. No further radiotherapy is performed post-operation. After half a year follow up, there is no recurrence.

Conclusion: For the tumor in the pterygopalatine fossa, the possibility of solitary fibrous tumor should be considered and radical endoscopic resection should be the preferred treatment approach.