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A 79-year-old woman had a primary tumor of the pulmonary artery, which was initially diagnosed as chronic pulmonary thromboembolism. Multislice angio-computed tomography showed a solid mass in the right pulmonary artery. Radical resection of the tumor was achieved by right pneumonectomy via a transsternal transpericardial approach. The patient was alive and free of disease 36 months after surgery.

Solitary fibrous tumors of the pleura are very rare neoplasms that can sometimes present with malignant features. Between 1984 and 2007, 18 cases were treated in our institution. There were 7 men and 11 women, with a median age of 56 years (range, 33-77 years). All patients underwent surgical treatment. Except for one case with hemangiopericytic features, all tumors were histologically the fibrous type of pleural mesothelioma. Resections were radical and there were no recurrences. There was no perioperative mortality. The outcome was excellent, and all patients have been followed up continuously. Survival rates at 3, 5, and 10 years were calculated as 86.7%, 75%, and 66.7%. One patient died after 18 months (malignant type of solitary fibrous tumor), and 2 died of unrelated disease after 24 and 53 months. Surgery is the treatment of choice, and careful long-term clinical follow-up is required.

Pulmonary carcinoids are rare malignant neoplasms, accounting for 2-5% of all lung tumors, with an approximate annual incidence of 2.3-2.8 cases per million of the population. We relate our experience of 54 patients (21 male, 33 female, mean age 53+/-15 years) treated between July 1986 and April 2006. All the patients underwent preoperative fibrobronchoscopy: preoperative diagnosis was made in 28 patients (52%). Surgical treatment consisted of: 31 standard lobectomies, 6 pneumonectomies, 5 bilobectomies, 2 sleeve lobectomies, 2 anatomic segmentectomies, 6 wedge resections; two patients were managed with sleeve bronchial procedure of the left main bronchus without lung resection. Fifty-four patients were followed with a mean time of observation of 67 months: 6 (11%) deaths occurred, at a mean period of 49 months after surgery; there were no postoperative deaths. Overall, 5-year survival was 91%, 10 years 83%: 5-year survival was 91% for typical carcoinoids (TC) vs. 88% for atypical (AC), 10 years 91% for TC and 44% for AC (significant value, P=0.0487). Carcinoid tumors are a distinct group of neuroendocrine tumors with a good prognosis in most cases. Surgery currently represents the best treatment with good results at mid- and long-term survival, according to an acceptable risk.