Round pneumonia: a rare condition mimicking bronchogenic carcinoma. Case report and review of the literature.
BACKGROUND
Round pneumonia is a condition usually described in children, with few reports addressing adult patients. It is an oval-shaped consolidation that, due to its radiological appearance, simulates bronchogenic carcinoma. Its evolution tends to be benign, although diagnostic dilemmas have sometimes required exploratory thoracotomy. Deaths caused by this condition have even been reported. To the best of our knowledge, there have been 31 previous cases of round pneumonia in adults reported in the English and Portuguese-language literature, of which only one was completely asymptomatic.


METHODS
The case of a 54-year-old female patient presenting a lung mass found on routine imaging evaluation is reported. Respiratory symptoms and signs were absent, but the patient had a significant history of smoking. Her physical examination gave normal results. On chest radiographs, a mass located in the middle third of the right lung was observed. Three weeks after the initial evaluation, the patient was admitted for a complete evaluation and for staging of a pulmonary malignancy, but repeated chest radiographs showed complete resolution.
Irmandade, Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. jjcamargo@terra.com.br
José Jesus de Peixoto
JJ
Camargo
Spencer Marcantonio
SM
Camargo
Tiago Noguchi
TN
Machuca
Fabíola Adélia
FA
Perin
D002283:Carcinoma, Bronchogenic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011859:Radiography