title: Mucoepidermoid carcinoma as an unusual cause for recurrent respiratory infections in a child.
abstract: Recurrent respiratory infections in a 9-year-old girl prompted a chest radiograph and a CT scan, which showed a right middle lobe consolidation. Bronchoscopy revealed a tumor that totally obstructed the middle lobe. Open lung biopsy revealed a low-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Middle and lower right lung lobectomy was performed, followed by an uneventful recovery. Cytogenetic investigation of tumor cells exhibited the translocation t(11;19). This case shows that further diagnostic modalities such as CT scanning should be performed early in children with recurrent lower respiratory tract infections who have suspicious radiographic findings such as persistent atelectasis or recurrent unifocal infiltration. Bronchial mucoepidermoid carcinoma is infrequent, and molecular investigations might shed additional light on the prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany. christian.vogelberg@uniklinikum-dresden.de
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vogelberg
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mohr
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fitze
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Friedrich
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Roesner
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Leupold
authors.forename: Meinolf
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suttorp
mesh_terms: D018277:Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D013510:Pulmonary Surgical Procedures; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed