Primary Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Peripheral Lungs

Abstract

We herein report a very rare case of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the peripheral lungs. A 77-year-old female visited a family physician for aortitis syndrome, diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia. A follow-up chest computed tomography scan for aortitis syndrome revealed a nodule in the middle lobe of the right lung. Although a transbronchial lung biopsy was attempted, a definitive diagnosis could not be made. Because the possibility of lung malignancy could not be ruled out, thoracoscopic wedge resection of the middle lobe was performed. The intraoperative pathological diagnosis revealed carcinoma of the lungs and we performed middle lobectomy under complete video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. A histopathological examination demonstrated an adenoid cystic carcinoma with a characteristic cribriform structure.