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Multiple lung metastases presenting as ground-glass opacities in a pulmonary adenocarcinoma: a case report
Noriko Yanagitani1, Kyoichi Kaira, Tamotsu Ishizuka
1Department of Medicine and Molecular Science, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine 3-39-15, Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511 Japan.
Introduction:
Focal ground-glass opacity on computed tomography suggests several disorders including inflammatory disease, fibrosis, or a primary lung neoplastic lesion, metastatic lung tumor.
Case Presentation:
The case of a 55-year-old female presenting with adenocarcinoma of the lung is herein reported. Computed tomography of the chest revealed a primary mass lesion in the upper lobe of the right lung and multiple metastases presenting as ground-glass opacities. Macroscopic metastases were observed in the bone, the hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes, and another lobe. This case was advanced lung cancer. We assumed that the multiple ground-glass opacity lesions were metastasis in the lungs. Chest CT revealed a partial response of the primary site and the multiple ground-glass opacities after systemic chemotherapy.
Conclusion:
A metastatic lung tumor showing ground-glass opacity is uncommon. It is quite difficult to distinguish between multiple primary lung cancers and intrapulmonary metastasis when patients present with multiple lung nodules. A lot of clinical information is therefore required to make an accurate diagnosis in such cases.
