Radiation pneumonitis caused by a migrated brachytherapy seed lodged in the lung.
We report a case of radiation pneumonitis caused by a migrated seed lodged in the lung after prostate brachytherapy. A 71-year-old man underwent transperineal interstitial permanent prostate brachytherapy for localized prostate cancer. On the day after brachytherapy, a routine postimplant chest X-ray revealed migration of one seed to the lower lobe of the left lung. After 1 month, pulmonary opacities were observed in the left lower lobe but not near the seed. He was diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia, and antibiotic therapy was commenced. Two months after brachytherapy, the patient's symptoms, laboratory data and pulmonary opacities improved; however, an abnormal shadow (consolidation) developed around the migrated seed. Lung consolidation disappeared almost completely 12 months after brachytherapy without any medical treatment. The abnormal shadow probably represented radiation pneumonitis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of radiation pneumonitis caused by a migrated brachytherapy seed in the lung.
Miura
Noriyoshi
N
Department of Urology, Shikoku Cancer Center, Ehime, Japan. nmiura@shikoku-cc.go.jp
Kusuhara
Yoshito
Y
Numata
Kousaku
K
Shirato
Akitomi
A
Hashine
Katsuyoshi
K
Sumiyoshi
Yoshiteru
Y
Kataoka
Masaaki
M
Takechi
Shinsuke
S
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000150:complications / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D000368:Aged; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung; D008297:Male; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D017564:Radiation Pneumonitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed