Peripheral intrapulmonary lymph node metastases of non-small-cell lung cancer

Since the development and progress of computed tomographic imaging, peripheral intrapulmonary lymph nodes (IPLNs) have become increasingly described and well-known entities. Intrapulmonary lymph nodes may appear as a solitary pulmonary nodular shadow mimicking a non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) or as multiple nodules masquerading as carcinoma metastases. We describe a case in which IPLNs presented as a clinical "nodular" T4 N0 NSCLC that finally proved to be a pathologic T2 N1 NSCLC, thus raising new questions on this entity.