Abstract
We analyzed a total of 16 cases of intrabronchial metastatic lung cancers, studied in our department. Their primary sites included the oral cavity, larynx, thyroid, breast, esophagus, pancreas, liver, kidney, uterus, malignant lymphoma and sarcomas. We classified bronchoscopic findings into 4 types ; surface, nodular, polyp and compression types (1, 12, 6 and 1 cases, respectively). As for the relationship between the mechanisms of metastasis and the bronchoscopic findings, the nodular type was not always an endobronchial metastatic lesion but also could be bronchial invasion of the primary tumor, lymph node metastasis or lung parenchyma metastasis. In contrast to this, most polyp type cases were of endobronchial metastasis. It is important to perform bronchoscopic examination in cases of metastatic lung cancer and mediastinal malignant tumors. It was stressed that endobronchial biopsy and brushing should be done in order to differentiate metastatic lung cancer from primary lung cancer, benigntumor, lung tuberculosis, etc. and to identify the primary sites of metastatic lung cancers.
