[Endoscopic techniques in bronchogenic carcinoma. Changes in recent decades]

Area of Science:

• Pulmonology
• Oncology
• Radiology

Background:

• A 57-year-old female patient with a history of arterial hypertension and significant smoking history (70 pack-years) presented with constitutional symptoms.

Observation:

• Initial chest X-ray revealed a focal pulmonary lesion (>3cm) in the right upper lobe.
• Computed Tomography (CT) confirmed a 3.3cm mass and identified suspicious paratracheal and subcarinal mediastinal lymph nodes.
• Positron Emission Tomography (PET) showed pathological uptake in the lung mass and mediastinal lymph nodes.

Findings:

• The imaging findings suggest a potentially malignant pulmonary lesion with mediastinal lymph node involvement.
• The case highlights the diagnostic challenge in differentiating primary lung cancer from other pathologies and determining accurate staging.

Implications:

• Further diagnostic studies are crucial for definitive diagnosis and precise mediastinal staging.
• The role of bronchoscopy alone in establishing the final diagnosis and staging needs evaluation in this complex case.