ABSTRACT
SESSION TITLE: Challenges in Lung Tumors SESSION TYPE: Rapid Fire Case Reports PRESENTED ON: 10/18/2022 10:15 am - 11:10 am INTRODUCTION: Patients can have a variety of post Coronovirus induced disease (COVID) associated interstitial lung diseases (ILD) ranging from cystic lung disease to fibrinous organizing pneumonia. However, very little is known about malignancies that have been overshadowed by post COVID associated pulmonary changes. We present one such case of insidious invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma of the lung that was masked by post COVID related changes. CASE PRESENTATION: A 70 year old female with COPD, systolic heart failure and significant tobacco use disorder presented with progressively worsening hypoxemic respiratory failure. She has had 4 hospitalizations in past year all for acute on chronic hypoxemic respiratory failure following COVID. She has been on Supplemental Oxygen 3L/min since her infection with SARS-COV2. Patient was found to have worsening bibasilar ground glass opacities (GGO) on CT of chest over the past 1 year since having COVID. She was treated with several rounds of steroids without any relief. Patient had a PET scan that showed a very avid left upper lobe consolidation. Given these worsening abnormalities and symptoms, she underwent bronchoscopy with transbronchial biopsy guided by the positive PET scan and fluoroscopy. However, during bronchoscopy she had copious secretions which were therapeutically cleared helping relieve some of patient's hypoxemia. All her cultures and Fungitell assay on bronchoalveolar lavage were negative. However, post biopsy pathology came back positive for Invasive Mucinous Adenocarcinoma. Patient was treated with chemo and radiation therapy with good response against her malignancy and significant relief in her hypoxemia. DISCUSSION: COVID associated pneumonia is well known to cause chronic hypoxemic respiratory failure. Post COVID related pulmonary changes range from organizing pneumonia to fungal pneumonia. However, patients should start to recover with time as inflammatory changes resolve on CT scan with adequate steroids or anti-fungals. If patients continue to deteriorate then a prompt work-up that rules out other infections and even malignancies is warranted as seen in our patient. This case brings forth an important consideration for aggressively pursuing an adequate work-up in the face of worsening GGO on the CT and patient's continual deterioration due to her hypoxemic respiratory failure. Our patient was able to be adequately diagnosed with malignancy and was then started on chemotherapy that allowed for adequate control of her hypoxemic respiratory failure and helped improve her quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Post COVID related pulmonary changes can be from a variety of ILD and infections. However, clinician should be vigilant in considering malignancy as a possible etiology of post COVID related changes and initiate an adequate work-up to help evaluate for cancer that can be masked amongst post COVID related ILD. Reference #1: Beck KS, Sung YE, Lee KY, Han DH. Invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma of the lung: Serial CT findings, clinical features, and treatment and survival outcomes. Thorac Cancer. 2020 Dec;11(12):3463-3472. doi: 10.1111/1759-7714.13674. Epub 2020 Oct 5. Reference #2: Matsui T, Sakakura N, Koyama S, Nakanishi K, Sasaki E, Kato S, Hosoda W, Murakami Y, Kuroda H, Yatabe Y. Comparison of Surgical Outcomes Between Invasive Mucinous and Non-Mucinous Lung Adenocarcinoma. Ann Thorac Surg. 2020 Nov 24:S0003-4975(20)32001-4. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2020.09.042. Epub ahead of print. Reference #3: Lee MA, Kang J, Lee HY, Kim W, Shon I, Hwang NY, Kim HK, Choi YS, Kim J, Zo JI, Shim YM. Spread through air spaces (STAS) in invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma of the lung: Incidence, prognostic impact, and prediction based on clinicoradiologic factors. Thorac Cancer. 2020 Nov;11(11):3145-3154. doi: 10.1111/1759-7714.13632. Epub 2020 Sep 25. DISCLOSURES: No relevant relationships by Danya Ahmed No relevant relationships by David Chambers No rele ant relationships by Jalal Damani No relevant relationships by Deon Ford No relevant relationships by Rachaita Lakra