Rare Tumors (Dec 2016)

Non-mucinous lepidic predominant adenocarcinoma presenting with extensive aerogenous spread

  • Yusuke Takanashi,
  • Shogo Tajima,
  • Masaru Tsukui,
  • Kazuya Shinmura,
  • Takamitsu Hayakawa,
  • Tsuyoshi Takahashi,
  • Hiroshi Neyatani,
  • Kazuhito Funai

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4081/rt.2016.6580
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8, no. 4

Abstract

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An extremely rare case of non-mucinous lepidic-predominant invasive adenocarcinoma (LPA) showing extensive aerogenous spread with a pneumonic presentation is reported. A 73-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because of an infiltrative shadow on chest xray. Chest computed tomography revealed extensive ground glass opacities in the right lower lobe, which was accompanied by infiltrative shadow with a pneumonic presentation. Invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma was presumed, and a partial resection of the right lower lobe was done. Histopathological examination revealed lepidic growth-predominant invasive adenocarcinoma with Clara type tumor cells, and there were innumerable aerogenous metastases also consisting of Clara cells. Because Alcian Blue and periodic acid-Schiff staining disclosed no mucus, the tumor was diagnosed as a non-mucinous LPA. The patient showed a poor response to 5 courses of pemetrexed, and she died one year after the diagnosis due to cancer progression. Nonmucinous LPA showed a rare presentation characterized by extensive aerogenous spread followed by a poor prognosis.

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