[A case of bronchial carcinoid diagnosed after 21 years of recurrent lung infections]

A case of 59 year old woman with a 21 year history of recurrent pneumonias of the upper left lobe is presented. When she at last agreed for the diagnosis her chest X-rays revealed atelectasis and cirrhosis with bronchiectases of the left lung. Tumor of the left main bronchus and severe inflammation of the surrounding mucosa with purulent secretion were found during bronchofiberoscopy. The patient underwent left pneumonectomy. Histological examination of the specimen revealed presence of carcinoid in the main left bronchus without involvement of the regional lymphnodes, with signs of irreversible damage of other bronchi and pulmonary tissue. The very long period of observation since the first symptoms, no metastases in the bronchopulmonary lymphonodes and no distant metastases indicate the low-grade malignancy of the carcinoid in the presented case.