[Giant Chondroid Pulmonary Hamartoma with a Diameter of 10 cm: A Case Report]

Pulmonary hamartomas are benign, predominantly mesenchymal lung neoplasms that represent the most common benign lung tumors and typically do not exceed 4 cm in diameter. Lesions larger than this size are considered "giant" hamartomas and have been only rarely described in the literature. We report the case of a 62-year-old male patient with dyspnea, in whom a chest X-ray revealed a mass in the right lower lobe. The subsequent computed tomography confirmed a well-circumscribed mass with a maximum diameter of 98 mm. Complementary thoracic MRI showed a heterogeneous mass in the right lower lobe measuring approximately 97 × 87 mm. Sonography over the right intercostal space revealed a solid mass with hypoechoic internal structure; in correlation with the cross-sectional imaging findings, the lesion was most consistent with a hamartoma. Due to the size of the mass and the inability to rule out malignancy, a parenchyma-sparing surgical enucleation was performed. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of a pulmonary hamartoma of the chondroid type. The postoperative course was uneventful. This case underscores that unusually large intrapulmonary masses can also be of benign nature and highlights the importance of careful radiological and histopathological evaluation prior to therapeutic decision-making.