title: Multiple pulmonary nodules with high metabolic activity: Potential benefit of multiple nodule biopsies by video-assisted thoracic surgery: A case report.
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess complex cases of multiple pulmonary nodules (PNs) with high metabolic activity that may have benefited from being managed in a manner outside the formal guidelines. The study describes the case of a patient with multiple highly metabolically-active PNs, where an original diagnosis of lung cancer metastasis was proposed. Following a failed transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB), multiple nodule biopsies by video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) were performed, and a diagnosis of lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC; stage IA) and tuberculosis was reached. This case report demonstrated that multiple nodule biopsies by VATS were effective and were able to improve the prognosis without delay.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Respiratory Medicine ; The State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510120, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jinlin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shiyue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yingying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
keywords: lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma; pulmonary nodules; tuberculosis; video-assisted thoracic surgery