[A case of plasma cell granuloma showing rapid growth and elevation of serum CEA]

A 67-year-old man was admitted with complaints of cough and hemosputum. Chest X-ray examination revealed enlargement of a coin lesion in the right upper lobe, which had been pointed out about one year previously and had been followed up. Although the histology of TBLB specimens and the cytology of sputum and materials showed no malignancy and chest CT showed calcification at the edge of the coin lesion, the mass shadow in the right upper lobe rapidly enlarged and the serum level of CEA gradually elevated. Therefore, it seemed to be impossible to neglect the possibility of lung cancer and right upper lobectomy was performed. The dissected specimen was diagnosed as plasma cell granuloma. Because the histology of the plasma cell granuloma is multifarious, TBLB shows various results. It is therefore difficult to diagnose such inflammatory tumors by TBLB. The increase of the mass shadow in size and the elevated serum level of CEA made it difficult to diagnose this case.