Primitive squamous-cell carcinoma after extrapleural pneumothorax for active tuberculosis.
Squamous-cell carcinoma into an extrapleural pneumothorax for active tuberculosis was incorrectly diagnosed as late tubercular empyema. Right axillary thoracostomy was carried out to drain large dense effusion decompressing the brachial plexus and the sympathetic chain with symptomatic release. Surgical biopsy of the extrapleural sac allowed to identify two different tissues: normal epithelium similar to epidermis and nodular fragments composed of well-differentiated squamous carcinoma. The cause of this tumour is not clear: probably the carcinoma arose from normal epidermis carried in the extrapleural cavity during multiple air-refills to maintain the therapeutic pneumothorax.
Rena
O
O
Thoracic Surgery Department, University of Torino, Torino, Italy. caterina.casadio@unito.it
Casadio
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C
Maggi
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G
D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011031:Pneumothorax, Artificial; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D011859:Radiography; D012086:Reoperation; D013899:Thoracic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*