Endobronchial Metastasis of Extrapulmonary Malignancies / 결핵

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The lung is the most common site for a metastasis of extrapulmonary malignant tumors. however, reports on an endobronchial metastasis are rare. An endobronchial metastasis is defined as a documented extrapulmonary neoplasms metastatic to the segmental or more proximal central bronchus within a bronchoscopically visible range. The purpose of this study was to define the clinical characteristics of an endobronchial metastasis of extrapulmonary malignancies. METHODS: The clinical features and treatment outcomes of 27 endobronchial metastatic cancer cases were reviewed from June, 1991 to May, 2001 in the Severance Hospital. RESULTS: The patients' age ranged from 18 to 75. There were 17 men and 10 women. The primary tumors included the colorectum in 7, the uterine cervix in 4, the stomach and the breast in 3 patients each, and an osteosarcoma in 2 patients. The main complaint of most patients was coughing and a chest X-ray revealed a hilar mass, a parenchymal nodule, and an atelectasis. The mean recurrence interval time was 45.5 months. The median and mean survival times were 10 and 12.3 months, respectively. CONCLUSION: An endobronchial metastasis is an ominous finding, and is associated with advanced-stage disease. It requires differential diagnosis with a primary bronchogenic carcinoma. If atypical clinical features are present or an atypical cell type is discovered by a biopsy of the lesion in the lung mass, the appropriate diagnostic studies should be undertaken.