A case of concurrent follicular lymphoma and lung cancer requiring differentiation from lymph node metastasis

Abstract

Abstract Lung cancer complicated by follicular lymphoma has rarely been reported in the literature. A 69‐year‐old male with an abnormal shadow on a chest radiograph was referred to our hospital. A mass in the right lung was seen on chest computed tomography (CT). Positron emission tomography‐CT showed fluorodeoxyglucose accumulation in the esophagus and multiple intra‐abdominal lymph nodes, in addition to the right lung lesion. The lung lesion was diagnosed as a pulmonary adenocarcinoma after biopsy. Upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopies did not reveal the presence of a tumor. Open lymph node biopsy was performed to determine the course of treatment, leading to a diagnosis of follicular lymphoma. The patient finally underwent radical resection for lung cancer; the follicular lymphoma was judged to be low‐grade and was followed up. When complications involving other organs are detected during systemic examination of a patient with lung cancer, it is necessary to distinguish between metastasis to other organs and complications of other malignant diseases, as this will greatly influence the treatment strategy.

Keywords

• follicular lymphoma
• lung cancer
• lymph node metastasis
• multiple cancers