title: [Thin-walled cystic lung cancer: an analysis of 24 cases and review of literatures].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lung cancer presenting as cystic lesions was first described by Anderson and Pierce in 1954. Lung cancer presenting as cysts is a rare entity in clinical practice. Differential diagnosis is difficult in the benign-like cyst. This study investigated the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer presenting as cysts.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective analysis of the clinical records of 24 patients who underwent surgery for a primary lung cancer presenting as cysts in our department between 2007 and 2013. We defined a 'Thin-walled cyst' as a cavitary lesion with a wall thickness of 4 mm or less along at least 75% of the circumference of the lesion. The whole group underwent post-operative follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of cystic lung cancer was 0.49% (24/4,897) of surgical cases. The subjects' age ranged from 19 to 77 yr with a median age of 56.5 yr. Ten cases presented with respiratory symptoms while 14 showed abnormal shadows on a chest CT without symptoms. Histological analysis showed that 18 cases were of adenocarcinoma, three of squamous cell carcinoma, one of small cell carcinoma, one of adenosquamous carcinoma and one of large cell carcinoma. Three patients were dead, and the remaining 21 patients are alive and disease free at the end of follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cystic lung cancer should be kept in mind during the differential diagnosis of focal benign cyst. Cystic lung cancer could achieve a good outcome if early diagnose can be obtained.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Chinese PLA (People's Liberation Army) General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Juntang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Chinese PLA (People's Liberation Army) General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Chaoyang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Chinese PLA (People's Liberation Army) General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Xiangyang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Chinese PLA (People's Liberation Army) General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Naikang
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Chinese PLA (People's Liberation Army) General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Yu'e
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Chinese PLA (People's Liberation Army) General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003560:Cysts / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult