It is necessary for orthopedic surgeons to differentiate this type of malignant tumor from cervical spondylosis or other benign disorders producing brachial neuralgia.
This report is to describe our recent experience of one case of typical “Pancoast tumor”.
A 52 year-old captain was referred to our clinic with severe pain of his right shoulder girdle radiating to the ulnar side of the right upper limb. He had been treated as cervical spondylosis or periarthritis of the shoulder in several clinics for four years, however, the pain had been getting worse gradually. X-ray examination in our clinic revealed slight bone destruction around the second and third costvertebral junctions. Accompaning with other characteristic symptoms, signs and findings, biopsy under bronchoscopy confirmed to be adenocarcinoma at the right pulmonary apical region.
Radiation therapy and chemotherapy were given, and the pain have decreased to some extent so far.
