[Pulmonary carcinosarcoma with skin metastasis]

We describe a case of lung carcinosarcoma in a 70-years-old patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Pulmonary carcinosarcoma is an unfrequent lung tumor, and usually histologic diagnosis is carried out by microscopic examination of the resected tumor. We observed these situation in our patient that was diagnosed of squamous cell carcinoma before the surgical resection by transthoracic needle aspiration. One month after surgery he developed a lesion in the infranasal area that was identified as a skin metastasis of lung carcinosarcoma. There is no previously reported case of skin metastasis of this rare tumor of the lung, that contain an admixture of malignant epithelial and mesenchymal elements. Clinical symptoms of pulmonary carcinosarcomas are not different from other lung tumors. The treatment when it is possible is the surgical resection of the tumor. We review histologic, diagnostic and therapeutic features of lung carcinosarcomas.