Shoulder Pain in an Elderly Smoker May be an Alarm: a Rare Case of Pancoast Tumor

Abstract

Patients with shoulder pain commonly present to a general practitioner and/or in the orthopedic department. In some instances, pain in the shoulder region can indicate serious underlying pathology. This article describes an elderly smoker presenting with progressively worsening shoulder pain not conforming to musculoskeletal, neuropathic or mechanical type pain and with poor response to conventional pain management protocols. Evaluation with meticulous history, physical signs, chest imaging findings, and histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of a rare clinical condition the Pancoast tumor.