Abstract
We describe 2 cases in which small cell lung cancer presented an unusual pattern of progression that mimicked malignant pleural mesothelioma on diagnostic imaging. The patients were a 74-year-old man and a 69-year-old woman, both of whose chest roentgenograms and CT scans showed irregular right pleural thickening with effusion. Small cell lung cancer had been diagnosed by routine examination in the former patient, but the latter had been given a clinical diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma until postmortem examination, which showed small cell lung cancer. The right lung of each patient was found to be fused to the thorax by a thick layer of tumor cell involvement on postmortem examination.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Harwood TR, Gracey DR, Yokoo H. Pseudomesotheliomatous carcinoma of the lung: a variant of peripheral lung cancer. Am J Clin Pathol 1976;65:159–167.
Chernow B, Sahn SA. Carcinomatous involvement of the pleura: an analysis of 96 patients. Am J Med 1977;63:695–702.
Fraser RS, Peter Paré JA, Fraser RG, Paré PD. Neoplastic disease of the lungs. In: Fraser RS, Peter Paré JA, Fraser RG, Paré PD (eds) Synopsis of diseases of the chest. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: WB Saunders, 1994:445–538.
Tanimura A, Nakajima N Osa T, Takeda H, Tajiri M, Iguchi Y, Tanimura Y. Primary lung cancer simulating pleural mesothelioma (in Japanese). Jpn J Chest Dis 1977;36:936–939.
Nomura M, Fujimura M, Matsuda T, Nakamura Y, Takayanagi N, Kitagawa M. Small cell carcinoma of the lung resembling pleural mesothelioma (in Japanese). Jpn J Lung Cancer 1994;34:1075–1078.
Breeze RG, Wheeldon EB. The cells of the pulmonary airways: state of the art. Am Rev Respir Dis 1977;116:705–777.
Gosney JR, Sissons MCJ, O'Malley JA. Quantitative study of endocrine cells immunoreactive for calcitonin in the normal adult human lung. Thorax 1985;40:866–869.
Boubier DP, Bell B. Small cell carcinoma of the pleura. South Med J 1989;82:1437–1438.
Schinkewitch PH, Gasser B, Wihlm JM, Pauli G, Quoix E. Small cell carcinoma of the pleura: a case report. Lung Cancer 1996;16:87–94.
Fraser RS, Peter Paré JA, Fraser RG, Paré PD. The pleura. In: Fraser RS, Peter Paré JA, Fraser RG, Paré PD (eds) Synopsis of diseases of the chest. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: WB Saunders Company, 1994:868–895.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
About this article
Cite this article
Maeda, Y., Segawa, Y., Takigawa, N. et al. Two cases of small cell lung cancer presenting an unusual pattern of progression mimicking pleural mesothelioma. Int J Clin Oncol 3, 121–124 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02492860
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02492860