Abstract
A 73-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of an abnormal shadow in the left upper lobe of his lungs. Cytodiagnosis suggested adenocarcinoma. The preoperative serum level of progastrin-releasing peptide was elevated (80.4 pg/ml). Preoperative computed tomography demonstrated an ill-defined tumor with a diameter of 35 mm at S1 and S2 in the left lung. Left lobectomy and lymph node resection were performed under video-assisted thoracoscopy. Histopathological examination by hematoxylin-eosin staining revealed a tumor composed of small, round, atypical hyperchromatic cells in a solid and trabecular arrangement with frequent rosette formation. The tumor expressed chromogranin A. These findings suggested typical pulmonary carcinoid tumor. The serum level of progastrin-releasing peptide decreased after surgery and has been within a normal range since the second post-operative month. There are few reports of cases of typical pulmonary carcinoid tumor with elevation of preoperative serum progastrin-releasing peptide.
