Pulmonary choriocarcinoma presenting as multiple centrilobular nodules / 대한내과학회지

Choriocarcinoma, a type of germ cell tumor, follows molar pregnancy and gestational events, including abortion and ectopic pregnancy, with significantly elevated serum human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) levels. Choriocarcinoma is rare, but very aggressive. The most common sites of metastatic involvement are the lung, vagina, and pelvic organs. We report the case of a 54-year-old woman with choriocarcinoma metastatic to the lung, with significant elevation of the serum HCG (>1,000,000 mIU/mL). Chest computed tomography (CT) on admission revealed multiple centrilobular nodules. The pathological examination of the specimen revealed tumor cell emboli in the pulmonary artery.