Current Thoracic Surgery

Pleural capillary hemangiomas are exceptionally rare vascular tumors that may present with massive pleural effusion, often mimicking traumatic hematoma or malignancy. Due to nonspecific clinical features and inconclusive imaging, diagnosis is often delayed. We present a 52-year-old woman with progressive dyspnea and left-sided pleural effusion. Imaging revealed a pleural-based lesion, but malignancy was not confirmed by cytology or bronchoscopy. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and histopathology confirmed capillary hemangioma. Surgical excision led to full recovery without recurrence. This case underscores the importance of considering benign vascular tumors in the differential diagnosis of unexplained pleural effusions.