Giant intrathoracic lipoblastoma in a 3-year-old child

Lipoblastoma is a rare benign tumour which originates from embryonic fat tissue mainly affecting children below 3 years of age and is exceptionally rare in the thoracic cavity. Preoperative imaging is used to assess the extent of disease and aid surgical planning but definitive diagnosis is usually by histopathological examination. Complete surgical excision is the treatment of choice. Because of the tendency for these lesions to recur, regular follow-up is mandatory even with presumed complete excision. In this study, we report the case of a 3-year-old boy who presented with a huge intrathoracic tumour occupying the whole of the left hemithorax. A complete resection of the tumour was undertaken, with histopathology report confirming the diagnosis of lipoblastoma. The relevant literature review was done. At 6 months of follow-up, there was no recurrent tumour on imaging and the child was thriving well.