Minute pulmonary meningothelial-like nodules coexisting with pulmonary cryptococcosis mimicking lung cancer

Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2013 Nov;61(11):659-62. doi: 10.1007/s11748-012-0169-1. Epub 2012 Oct 27.

Abstract

A 68-year-old woman was found to have an abnormal shadow on chest X-ray. Computed tomography showed some small ground-glass opacities in the bilateral lung field and also a 22-mm tumor in the left lower lobe, which showed high accumulation on (18)F fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography. Each of them was difficult to distinguish from lung cancer clinically. Preoperative localization of a small ground-glass opacity nodule with computed tomography-guided lipiodol marking and resection of each using a fluoroscopic unit was performed. Pathological findings from the small nodule showed minute pulmonary meningothelial-like nodule, and those from the tumor and fungal culture showed pulmonary cryptococcosis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of coexisting minute pulmonary meningothelial-like nodules and pulmonary cryptococcosis mimicking lung cancer. Thoracoscopy assisted by computed tomography-guided lipiodol marking enabled us to diagnose them.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Contrast Media
  • Cryptococcosis / diagnosis*
  • Cryptococcosis / surgery
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Ethiodized Oil
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Lung Neoplasms / surgery
  • Meninges / pathology*
  • Thoracoscopy
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Contrast Media
  • Ethiodized Oil