Bronchiolo-alveolar cell carcinoma arising after active pulmonary tuberculosis' report of two cases]

We report on two patients diagnosed as having active pulmonary tuberculosis who later developed lung cancer. In both cases, the lung cancer was detected during the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. Both patients were initially considered to be experiencing exacerbation of pulmonary tuberculosis. Case 1 was seen in a 74-year-old man. His chest roentgenogram revealed microscopic cavitary lesions with infiltration into both lung fields. His sputum tested positive for acid-fast bacilli. Although he was treated with isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RFP), ethambutol (EB) and pyrazinamide (PZA), his general condition deteriorated, and the infiltrative shadows in the lung fields had expanded on subsequent chest radiography. Transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) yielded findings compatible with a diagnosis of bronchiolo-alveolar cell carcinoma. Case 2 occurred in a 52-year-old man. His chest radiograph revealed cavitary lesions with infiltration into both lung fields. His sputum also tested positive for acidfast bacilli. Despite medication with INH, RFP, EB and PZA, the infiltrative shadow in his chest radiograph increased in size. Bronchiolo-alveolar cell carcinoma was confirmed after examination of the sputum cytology. Case 1 was diagnosed as lung cancer 10 months after being admission to the hospital, and Case 2, seven months after hospitalization. Recent discussion concerning the simultaneous occurrence of pulmonary tuberculosis and bronchogenic carcinoma suggests a high frequency of coexistence of the two diseases. However, the coexistence of active tuberculosis with bronchiolo-alveolar cell carcinoma, as in our cases, is rare.     

A case of plasma cell granuloma showing rapid growth and elevation of serum CEA

A 67-year-old man was admitted with complaints of cough and hemosputum. Chest X-ray examination revealed enlargement of a coin lesion in the right upper lobe, which had been pointed out about one year previously and had been followed up. Although the histology of TBLB specimens and the cytology of sputum and materials showed no malignancy and chest CT showed calcification at the edge of the coin lesion, the mass shadow in the right upper lobe rapidly enlarged and the serum level of CEA gradually elevated. Therefore, it seemed to be impossible to neglect the possibility of lung cancer and right upper lobectomy was performed. The dissected specimen was diagnosed as plasma cell granuloma. Because the histology of the plasma cell granuloma is multifarious, TBLB shows various results. It is therefore difficult to diagnose such inflammatory tumors by TBLB. The increase of the mass shadow in size and the elevated serum level of CEA made it difficult to diagnose this case.     

A case of lung tuberculosis which also incidentally found intestinal tuberculosis by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography]

A 60-year-old women presenting with an abnormal shadow on a chest X-ray film was admitted to our hospital in June 2004. Her CT scan of the chest showed a cavitary mass shadow in the left upper lobe. FDG-PET was performed to examine whether this shadow was the lung cancer or not, and incidentally it showed an additional accumulation of FDG in the ileocecal resion. The colonoscopy was then carried out. Luminal narrowing with circumferential ulcer in the ileocecal resion could be observed, and pathological findings of the biopsy specimen revealed epithelioid cell granulomas. Partial lobectomy of the left upper lung was also performed, and the histological examination revealed typical pulmonary tuberculosis. Since the antituberculosis therapy was effective to the ileocecal lesion, we assert that the ileocecal lesion was intestinal tuberculosis.     

A case of small-cell lung cancer during treatment for active pulmonary tuberculosis after surgery for non-small-cell lung cancer]

A 76-year-old man taking anti-tuberculous drugs for active pulmonary tuberculosis was admitted to our hospital requiring further examination of a pulmonary mass in the left upper lobe. He had had right lower lobectomy and partial middle lobectomy for non-small-cell lung cancer two years before admission. Retrospectively, the left upper lobe mass had been gradually growing for about 2 months. We performed a transbronchial lung biopsy of the pulmonary mass, and diagnosed small-cell lung cancer. This report describes a rare case of small-cell lung cancer appearing during treatment for active pulmonary tuberculosis after non-small-cell lung cancer surgery.     

A case of pulmonary cryptococcosis with lung cancer in a pulmonary lobe

A 63-year old female was admitted because of an abnormal shadow on chest X-ray film. Chest CT showed a nodular shadow in the right S6 and a patchy shadow in the right S10. Right lower lobectomy was performed under a diagnosis of lung cancer made by TBLB in the right S6. Pathological examination of the resected lung revealed papillary adenocarcinoma in the right S6 and numerous cryptococci in the right S10. No cryptococcal infection was found in the resected lymph nodes.     

A case of severe pneumoconiosis with synchronous triple lung cancer]

A 70-year-old man who had worked in a stonepit for about fifty years was admitted to our hospital for detailed examination of the signs of pneumoconiosis (3/3, q) and a nodular shadow in the right upper lung field. Under a clinical diagnosis of lung cancer complicated with pneumoconiosis, right upper lobectomy with a right S6 resection was performed. Pathological examination revealed moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma of the right S2, well-differentiated adenocarcinoma of the right S6, and a squamous cell carcinoma of the right S1 which was not detected by chest CT. In addition to the difficulty of diagnosing lung cancer in a patient with severe pneumoconiosis, treatment for lung cancer may be limited by the poor pulmonary function that results from pneumoconiosis. Although the labor administration's decision that lung cancer patients with concomitant pneumoconiosis deserve compensation can be evaluated as a good one, the study of the relationship between pneumoconiosis and lung cancer needs further study through follow-up examination of pneumoconiosis cases.     

A case of pulmonary actinomycosis marked by diagnostic difficulty]

A 59-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for evaluation of an abnormal lung shadow. Chest X-ray and computed tomographic (CT) films showed a mass shadow in the left lower lobe. The shadow decreased in size after the administration of imipenem/cirastatin and clindamycine. Although a transbronchial lung biopsy failed to confirm the diagnosis, histologic examination of percutaneous aspiration biopsy specimens revealed sulfur granules. Actinomycosis was diagnosed but we did not rule out the possibility of coexistent carcinoma. A left lower lobectomy was performed, and the patient has been well without any complaints or recurrence of actinomycosis for 6 months after surgery. We concluded that pulmonary actinomycosis should be considered another candidate for the differential diagnosis of mass shadows from lung cancer.     

A case of resected squamous cell carcinoma of the lung complicated with sarcoidosis]

A 64-year-old man with uveitis was admitted to our hospital for detailed investigation of an abnormal shadow on his chest X-ray. Chest radiography and computed tomography of the chest showed mediastinal lymphadenopathy and a tumor shadow in the left hilum. Transbronchial tumor biopsy revealed squamous cell carcinoma. Left upper lobectomy and drainage of bilateral hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes were performed. Histopathological examination revealed the coexistence of squamous cell carcinoma with many non-caseating epithelioid cell granulomas in all hilar and mediastinal drainage lymph nodes, but no metastasis. Non-caseating epithelioid cell granulomas were also seen in the interstitium and alveolar spaces. Coexistence of sarcoidosis and lung cancer in the same patient is not common, and only 29 cases, including ours, have been reported. This case also provides the concept that surgical tumor resection should be considered even if bilateral mediastinal lymphadenopathy is found in a case of lung cancer complicated with sarcoidosis.     

A case of Beh?et's disease with hemoptysis and chest X-ray abnormality

A 41-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of hemoptysis and dyspnea. Physical examination disclosed oral ulcer, acne and scrotal ulcer. Although ocular lesions were absent, the needle reaction was positive. Then we diagnosed this case as incomplete type of Beh?et's disease. Chest X-ray showed diffuse retinolinear shadows in the entire lung field and an infiltrative shadow in the left middle lung field. CT-scan revealed interstitial shadows in the entire lung field, a wedge-shaped shadow in left S6 and aneurysmic dilatation of the left lower lobe pulmonary artery. Pulmonary angiography showed obstruction and aneurysmic dilatation of the left lower lobe pulmonary artery. Pathological examination of the TBLB specimen revealed thickening of the vessel wall, perivascular infiltrations of mononuclear cells, hemorrhage and slight thickening of alveolar septae. These findings were compatible with pulmonary lesions of Beh?et's disease. After administration of corticosteroid, the symptoms and the chest roentgenographic findings improved. Pulmonary lesions of Beh?et's disease were discussed.     

A case of M. fortuitum lung disease with small-cell lung cancer]

A 58-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of an abnormal shadow found on chest radiography. Chest radiographs and chest CT on admission showed a bulla with a niveau and infiltration in the right upper lobe. Smear of sputum and bronchial lavage were negative for acid-fast bacilli. Despite treatment with meropenem and clindamycin, the infiltrating shadow worsened. Since bronchial lavage and sputum culture were positive for M. fortuitum, these drugs were replaced with minocycline and imipenem. Thereafter, the shadow on the chest radiograph improved. After discharge, outpatient treatment with clarithromycin and levofloxacin was continued. After 4 months, the residual tumor shadow in the right upper lobe gradually grew. When a CT-guided transcutaneous needle lung biopsy was undertaken, malignant cells were found. Right upper lobectomy was performed. Pathological examination of the lesion demonstrated small-cell lung cancer. If a lesion does not change after nontuberculous mycobacteria treatment, the physician should consider other lesions such as lung cancer.     

Two cases of lung cancer in the third decade of life]

We report two cases of lung cancer in the third decade of life. One patient was a 27-year-old man complaining of persistent cough and chest pain. He was referred for examination of an abnormal shadow found on chest radiography. A diagnosis of adenocarcinoma consisting of bronchial gland cells was made by bronchial biopsy. The clinical stage was T4N2M1. Although he was treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy and gefitinib, he died of lung cancer. The other patient was a 26-year-old Chinese woman complaining of hemosputum. Since histologic examination at thoracotomy revealed lung cancer, left lower lobectomy and lymph node dissection were performed. Histological examination of the resected specimen revealed pleomorphic carcinoma. The pathological stage was pT2N2MX. Although the absolute number of young adults with lung cancer has been increasing, the relative incidence among all cases of lung cancer has been decreasing. In some cases, young adults with lung cancer have been misdiagnosed as having bronchial asthma or pulmonary tuberculosis.     

Superinfection of chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

A 63-year-old woman with chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis complicated by active pulmonary tuberculosis is reported. A small infiltrative shadow appeared, but no definite diagnosis was made. Six years later the shadow was found to have increased in size; chest CT revealed a fungus ball, while a transbronchial lung biopsy revealed aspergillus hyphae. The intrabronchial inoculation of amphotericin B proved ineffective, and a lobectomy was performed. Histopathologic findings showed necrotic granulomas containing aspergillus and some acid-fast bacilli. While the superinfection of healed tuberculous lesions by Mycobacteria or Aspergillus species is well documented, their coexistence is rare.     

A case of pulmonary actinomycosis with recurrent hemoptysis diagnosed after right upper lobectomy]

The patient was a 58-year-old man who had been admitted in 1995 because of hemoptysis. Chest CT scans showed air-space consolidation with dilated bronchi and calcification in the right S3. He received a diagnosis of bronchiectasis with old tuberculosis. Bronchial arteriography showed arterialization in the right S3, and bronchial artery embolization was performed. But in 1996 hemoptysis reappeared. He was readmitted in May 1999 because of recurrent hemoptysis. Bronchial arteriography showed recurrence of arterialization in the same area, and chest CT scans showed growth of the mass shadow. Right upper lobectomy was performed, and the microscopic findings of the resected specimen showed sulfur granules in the dilated bronchus. We concluded that pulmonary actinomycosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of abnormal chest shadows.     

A case of plasma cell granuloma with good response to steroid therapy

A 46-year-old man was admitted with complaints of fever, cough and anterior chest pain. Chest X-ray examination disclosed an infiltrative shadow in the right upper lung field and chest CT scan strongly suggested invasion of mediastinum and anterior chest wall. Therefore, steroid therapy was selected because biopsy specimen showed proliferation of fibroblasts and mononuclear cells mainly containing plasma cells with no evidence of malignancy. After steroid therapy, chest X-ray examination showed that the infiltrative shadow was greatly reduced. However, since infiltrative shadow was increased again at 3 years after the initiation of steroid therapy, right upper lobectomy was performed. Histopathological analysis of resected tumor demonstrated proliferation of mature plasma cells and fibroblasts in conjunction with minor infiltration of neutrophils and lymphocytes. At 18 months after operation, new shadows appeared in right S8 and S10 which were shown to have almost the same histological findings as the resected tumor. Steroid therapy was restarted, and then the size of shadows decreased. It is conceivable that steroid therapy is an effective therapy for pulmonary plasma cell granuloma, especially multifocal and relapsing cases.     

A case of pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with tuberculosis of bilateral cervical lymph nodes and exacerbated pericostal abscess

A 23-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of cough and sputum in April 2001. A chest roentgenogram revealed infiltrative shadow with cavity formation in the bilateral lung fields. He was treated with sensitive antituberculous drugs. After starting the antituberculous therapy with INH, RFP, EB and PZA, bilateral cervical lymphadenopathy developed. Three months later, pericostal abscess appeared in the left anterior chest wall. Microscopic examination of the specimen obtained by needle aspiration biopsy disclosed positive for acid-fast bacilli. Smears of the pus showed acidfast bacilli identified as Mycobacterium tuberculosis by DNA-DNA PCR method. He developed tuberculous bilateral cervical lymphadenopathy and pericostal abscess during the course of antituberculosis chemotherapy. Drug sensitivity test revealed that tubercle bacilli in this case were sensitive. One year after the administration of chemotherapy, cervical lymphadenopathy and pericostal abscess were improved. Both masses were discontinuous with pulmonary tuberculosis and the possibility of lymphogenous spread of organism was speculated as its etiology. We assumed that both masses were due to paradoxical response to the antituberculosis chemotherapy.     

Inflammatory pseudotumor of the lung]

The patient was a 76-year-old man whose chief complaint was a dry cough. His chest X-ray film revealed a large hazy shadow with unclear margin in the left upper lobe. Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia was initially diagnosed because transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) specimens showed organizing pneumonia with no evidence of malignancy. However, because the hazy shadow increased gradually in size despite steroid therapy. TBLBs were performed several more times to confirm the diagnosis. The last TBLB specimen showed proliferation of fibroblasts and mononuclear cells, with marked infiltration mainly of plasma cells 12 months after the initiation of steroid therapy. Because we were unable to obtain a histological diagnosis by bronchofiberscopy, a left upper lobectomy was preformed and the lesion resected. Histology disclosed inflammatory pseudotumor of a lymphoplasmacytic type with organizing pneumonia. The results of an immuno-histochemical examination confirmed that the proliferating plasma cells were polyclonal. These findings suggest that inflammatory pseudotumors should be taken into account by differential diagnoses of cases of organizing pneumonia that are resistant to steroid therapy.     

An autopsy case of adenocarcinoma of the lung with signet ring cells, manifesting with aphasia and hemiparesis due to nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis

A 42-year-old male was admitted to Tokyo University Hospital because of confusion, aphasia and right hemiparesis. Cranial computed tomography and cerebral angiography demonstrated cerebral infarction due to occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery, while chest roentgenography disclosed a nodular shadow in the right upper lobe and swelling of right hilar and paratracheal lymph nodes. These findings suggested carcinoma of pulmonary origin and tumor-associated cerebral thrombosis, but a possibility of gastric cancer was raised by the finding of cervical lymph node biopsy which revealed signet ring cells in metastatic adenocarcinoma. He developed disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome and died on the 83rd hospital day. Autopsy revealed adenocarcinoma of the lung with signet ring cells and non-bacterial thrombotic endocarditis which appeared to be responsible for the cerebral infarction. The relationship between adenocarcinoma of the lung with signet ring cells and non-bacterial thrombotic endocarditis was discussed.     

A case report of pulmonary blastoma--biphasic pulmonary blastoma]

We report a biphasic pulmonary blastoma in a 77-year-old man. In a routine chest radiographic examination, in the left upper lung field, a massive shadow that had been entirely absent one year before was detected. The preoperative imaging films showed a 10 x 8 cm, well-circumscribed solid tumor in the upper lobe of the left lung. A preoperative clinical diagnosis of primary lung cancer was considered. The intraoperative findings were that the tumor had invaded the visceral pleura with adhesion to the parietal pleura. Left upper lobectomy with lymph node sampling was performed, and since invasion of the pulmonary artery wall was confirmed, complete removal of tumor was not possible. The postoperative diagnosis was biphasic pulmonary blastoma. The patient was treated with radiotherapy up to a limit of 50 Gy, covering the area around of the left hilum. At the latest follow-up, 1 year postoperatively, the patient was clinically and radiologically free of the disease.     

A case of congenital bronchial atresia with obstructive pneumonia accompanied with partial anomalous pulmonary venous drainage

A 25-year-old male was admitted with productive cough and an abnormal shadow on chest X-ray film which showed a cylindrical shadow near the left hilum and consolidation in the markedly hyperlucent left upper lung field. The cylindrical shadow appeared to be located in left S1+2 but bronchographic examination showed independence of the branches of B1+2. Furthermore, pulmonary venography by DSA showed that the left upper pulmonary vein entered the left brachiocephalic vein. The patient underwent left partial lobectomy under a diagnosis of congenital bronchial atresia with partial anomalous pulmonary venous drainage. Pathological examination of the resected lung revealed obstructive pneumonia in the over-inflated lung zone, probably induced through collateral airways.     

Three cases of primary pulmonary malignant lymphoma]

Primary pulmonary malignant lymphoma is a rare disease that is thought to belong to a category of malignant lymphomas arising from mucosa- or bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT or BALT). We encountered 3 cases of primary pulmonary malignant lymphoma, Case 1: In a 51-year-old male, an abnormal shadow was detected in chest radiography in the right S9 after an operation for thyroid carcinoma. A right lower lobectomy was performed. The diagnosis was malignant lymphoma (marginal zone B-cell lymphoma). Immunohistochemical staining for IgM gave a positive result. Case 2: Multiple nodular shadows were noted in both lungs of a 55-year-old man after a bout of pneumonia. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery was performed, and the diagnosis was malignant lymphoma (marginal zone B-cell lymphoma). Gene analysis revealed rearrangement of a heavy chain gene. Case 3: An abnormal shadow was seen in the chest radiograph of a 60-year-old man. He was treated by right upper and middle lobectomy. The diagnosis was Hodgkin's disease, nodular sclerosing type. Chemotherapy was given after surgery and the patient is now alive without recurrence. As the pulmonary malignant lymphoma was difficult to diagnosepreoperatively, it was necessary to resect the mass for diagnostic purposes. The prognosis of a resected solitary lesion in the lobe was good. Therefore lobectomy was performed as the treatment of choice. Systemic chemotherapy is performed for the diffuse type of pulmonary lymphoma.