A pulmonary chondromatous hamartoma resembling multiple metastases in the (18)F-FDG PET/CT scan

Multiple pulmonary hamartomas (PH) occur rarely, are mostly seen in females, and are usually leiomyomatous hamartomas. Here, we report an extremely rare case of a 30 years old male patient diagnosed as multiple pulmonary chondromatous hamartomas. He was admitted on May 2015 to our hospital for a 3 months history of cough. Multiple nodules in the right lung were detected on chest X-rays during a routine checkup 9 months ago and in a subsequent chest computed tomography (CT). However, he abandoned medical follow-up because he was asymptomatic. Nine months later, rare and atypical CT findings with progression were observed during this visit so that pulmonary metastases from an unknown primary tumor was suspected. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scan showed mild fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) uptake in the lesions and no abnormal foci in any other part of his body. A posterolateral thoracotomy was performed. Pathologic features were consistent with those of pulmonary chondromatous hamartomas.