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CC BY 4.0 · Surg J (N Y) 2016; 02(01): e11-e13
DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1572359
Case Report
Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Infection or Malignancy? Malignant Pulmonary Mass Mimicking Pneumonia

Serdar Evman
1   Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sureyyapasa Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
,
Korkut Bostanci
2   Department of Thoracic Surgery, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
,
Mustafa Yuksel
2   Department of Thoracic Surgery, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

15 October 2015

04 January 2016

Publication Date:
03 February 2016 (online)

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Abstract

A 36-year-old woman, unresponsive to pneumonia antibiotherapy followed by antituberculosis treatment, was referred to our clinic. Thorax computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography CT showed cystic mass and mediastinal lymph node with suspicion of malignancy. Fine needle aspiration biopsy and mediastinoscopy showed no malignancy, so the patient underwent an exploratory thoracotomy. A frozen section of wedge-resected mass was reported as adenocarcinoma, leading to right lower lobectomy with mediastinal lymph node dissection. Besides cutting-edge diagnostic techniques, exploratory thoracotomy for cavitary lung lesions can still be necessary, as the last-line choice. The probability of malignancy must always be considered, despite a patient's age or symptoms.

Keywords

exploratory thoracotomy - lung cancer - positron emission tomography - pulmonary cavity
 

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