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Massive anterior mediastinal lipoma causing cardiac arrest in a middle-aged male: a case report and literature review

    Xulin Weng‡

    Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 310015, China

    ‡XL Weng and L Jiang contributed equally to this work

    Search for more papers by this author

    ,
    Le Jiang‡

    Department of Emergency Intensive Care Unit, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 310015, China

    ‡XL Weng and L Jiang contributed equally to this work

    Search for more papers by this author

    &
    Menglu Zhou

    *Author for correspondence:

    E-mail Address: zml150326@163.com

    Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 310015, China

    Published Online:https://doi.org/10.2217/fca-2023-0107

    Lipoma is a common benign soft tissue tumor, but its size and location can lead to serious issues. We report a case of a 48 year-old male patient who experienced sudden cardiac arrest outside the hospital. After resuscitation and examination, we determined that this was due to a massive mediastinal lipoma compressing the lungs, leading to respiratory failure and pulmonary encephalopathy, ultimately resulting in cardiac arrest. This case serves as a reminder to promptly identify and manage chest lipomas to avoid compression and functional impairment of the respiratory system. Early evaluation and treatment of massive lipomas are crucial for preventing complications.

    Papers of special note have been highlighted as: • of interest

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