Bronchogenic carcinoma associated with pulmonary infarction

Chest radiographs of patients with suspected bronchogenic carcinoma occasionally show two adjacent opacities in the same lobe, one located centrally, the other more peripherally. Case histories and chest radiographs of five patients with these findings are presented. In each case, the centrally located mass was shown to be a bronchogenic carcinoma, while the more peripherally located density proved to be a pulmonary infarct. It is thus important to perform a biopsy of the proximal lesion rather than the peripheral one. The location and size of the infarct with respect to the bronchogenic carcinoma, as well as the possible cause of the infarct, are reviewed.