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Vol.40 No.7 contents | Japanese/English |
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- Case Report -
A Case of Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Subsegmental Bronchus
Tohru Hasumi1), Katsuhiko Isogami1), Nobumichi Matsubara2), Noboru Asoh2), Tadashi Imai3)and Kazuhiro Ohkuda1)1)Department of Respiratory Surgery, Semine Prefectural Hospital, 2)Department of Respiratory Medicine, Semine Prefectural Hospital, 3)Department of Respiratory Surgery, Aomori Prefectural Central Hospital
Background: Mucoepidermid carcinoma is defined as a tumor characterized by a mixture of three cell types; mucinous, squamous, and intermediate cells. Therefore, this tumor is often misinterpreted as adenoma, adenocarcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma, especially in small samples. Case: A 75-year-old woman was admitted because of abnormal chest shadow. Bronchoscopy revealed polypoid tumors occluding the lumen of left B1+2a bronchus. Bronchoscopic biopy suggested a diagnosis of adenoma. Chest CT scan confirmed obstructive pneumonia in the left upper lung field due to the tumors. Segmentectomy of the left upper division was performed. The polypoid tumors showed exophytic growth into the bronchial lumen (LB1+2a). Histologically, the tumor was diagnosed as a low grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma and neither extrabronchial extension nor any lymph node metastasis were detected. The patient is alive and well 1 year after surgery without any evidence of recurrence. Conclusion: To allow definitive diagnosis, it is necessary to recognize the three cellular elements within mucoepidermoid carcinoma.
key words: Lung cancer, Mucoepidermoid carcinoma, Segmentectomy
Received: July 17, 2000
Accepted: September 11, 2000
JJLC 40 (7): 765-769, 2000
