Atypical diagnosis for typical lung carcinoid

Roberto Piro,Sofia Taddei,Roberto Tonelli,Alessandro Marchioni,Giovanni Musci,Nicola Facciolongo,Enrico Clini

doi:10.1186/s12890-019-0929-0

Abstract

BackgroundThe diagnosis of lung typical carcinoid tumors results challenging when limited size and unfavorable sampling location is associated. It has been reported that bronchoscopy with endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) significantly increases the diagnostic yield of peripheral nodules smaller than 2 cm.Case presentationA 70-year-old Caucasian male complained of persistent fever and cough despite several antibiotic courses and steroid treatment. Chest radiology revealed the presence of a small single nodular opacity in the left upper lobe, whose standardized maximum uptake value (SUV) at fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) was significantly high (4.5). The patient underwent bronchial endoscopy but any appreciable sign of endobronchial or intramural involvement was detected. Only radial ultrasound-guided bronchoscopy (R-EBUS) allowed transbronchial sampling whose pathological analysis revealed a typical carcinoid tumor. The patients underwent surgical lobectomy and clinic-radiological follow was started.ConclusionsWith this case we aim at stressing the importance of ultrasound in the diagnostic process of lung small peripheral carcinoid, especially if they present without mucosal or sub mucosal involvement.

Highlights

Carcinoid tumors are low-grade neuroendocrine malignancies that usually affect the gastrointestinal tract [1]
With this case we aim at stressing the importance of ultrasound in the diagnostic process of lung small peripheral carcinoid, especially if they present without mucosal or sub mucosal involvement
According to the mitosis number and the absence/presence of architectural disruptions and necrosis found on histopathology, they are classified as typical and atypical carcinoid tumors respectively [2]

Summary

Conclusions

With this case we aim at stressing the importance of ultrasound in the diagnostic process of lung small peripheral carcinoid, especially if they present without mucosal or sub mucosal involvement.

Introduction

Discussion