A case of adenocarcinoma in situ presenting as a solid nodule

Abstract

There is no consensus regarding limited surgery for small lung cancer, and clinical trials are currently ongoing. Adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) has been reported to be associated with a good prognosis, with a 100% 5-year survival rate. The present case involved a patient in whom CT showed a ground glass opacity (GGO) lesion in right S1 of 10 mm. The lesion grew gradually each year, forming a partly solid nodule by year 3 and a solid nodule of 16 mm after 5 years; the patient was then referred to our hospital. We performed limited surgery for this patient. The pathological diagnosis was AIS, and now at 7 years since the surgery, recurrence has not been detected. We observed changes in the GGO lesion with time over 5 years, and suggest that AIS may appear as solid nodules on computed tomography and that limited resection is a possible treatment.