[A case of primary anterior mediastinal liposarcoma with a heterotopic mass in the pericardium of the same histology].

We experienced a case of primary anterior mediastinal liposarcoma with a heterotopic mass in the pericardium of same histology. Twenty reported cases in Japan were also studied. The patient was a 50-year-old male who visited the hospital because of an abnormal shadow on a chest X-ray. The diagnosis of anterior mediastinal tumor was confirmed by a chest CT. The patient underwent a complete resection of the mediastinal and intrapericardial masses. The histologic diagnosis was a well differentiated liposarcoma of Enzinger's classification. No evidence of recurrence or metastasis was detected in the third postoperative year. Liposarcoma is rarely seen in the mediastinum. Since radiotherapy and chemotherapy are ineffective therapeutic modalities, surgery would be the treatment of choice and complete surgical resection is mandatory.