2010 Volume 24 Issue 1 Pages 052-057
We experienced a case of lung carcinoma with polypoid growth in the main pulmonary artery. A 74-year-old woman with a lung tumor of the left S1+2 was referred to our department. Chest CT scan revealed a tumor mass with cavity in the left S1+2 and left hilar lymph node swelling, and also revealed obstruction of the left main pulmonary artery. A perfusion lung scan image showed a defect of the left lung. We performed left pneumonectomy. We opened the pericardium, and the left main pulmonary artery was resected at the intrapericardial portion. The macroscopic findings of the resected specimen showed a polypoid tumor that had grown in the left main pulmonary artery. The tumor showed not only peripheral invasion, but also proximal extension up to the main pulmonary artery. The microscopic findings showed that neoplastic cells infiltrated the pulmonary artery via the metastatic hilar lymph node, but did not infiltrate the pulmonary vein or bronchus. We finally diagnosed her with squamous cell carcinoma, p-T3N1M0 stage III A. We could perform complete resection of this tumor through the identification of the intrapericardial portion of the left main pulmonary artery.
