Presence of malignant mesothelial cells in the sputum.
Malignant pleural mesothelioma and peripheral adenocarcinoma, of the lung, also known as pseudomesotheliomatous adenocarcinoma, have similar clinical and radiological characteristics and even similar microscopic findings, and this makes it difficult to differentiate them. Malignant pleural mesothelioma rarely invades the bronchial lamina or bronchioloalveolar spaces, and tumor cells are not usually found in the sputum. Therefore, the appearance of tumor cells in sputum more likely supports the diagnosis of peripheral lung cancer. We report a rare case in which malignant pleural mesothelioma cells were found in the sputum. For the differential diagnosis of a mass involving both the pleura and lung, physicians should consider that malignant mesothelial cells can be found in the sputum, although this is very rare.
Choi
Yoon Hee
YH
Department of Internal Medicine, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
Park
Kwang Young
KY
Ryoo
Baek-Yeol
BY
Na
Im Ii
II
Yang
Sung Hyun
SH
Koh
Jae Soo
JS
Kim
Cheol Hyeon
CH
Lee
Jae Cheol
JC
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D013183:Sputum; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed