A case of metastatic thoracic wall adenocarcinoma of unknown primary origin

Abstract

A 72-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital for the closer examination of a chest wall tumor (epithelial malignant tumor). CT and PET/CT showed only a chest wall tumor, and no primary lesion was found. We carried out chest wall resection with partial resection of the right lower lobe. Based on the results of a pathological examination, adenocarcinoma was indentified in the chest wall. We diagnosed the case as chest wall carcinoma without a primary lesion. Although no primary carcinoma was found in the lung, the immunohistochemical findings suggested a pulmonary origin. We report this rare case and discuss the literature on carcinoma with an unknown primary site.