[Difficulty in differential diagnosis of tumor-like structures in pulmonary hilus]

On the basis of two reported clinical cases, patient K. K. in whom preliminary diagnosis of tumour of the left pulmonary hilus was the result of valvular heart disease, and patient A. L. in whom similar symptoms, signs and radiological manifestations developed in the course of bronchogenous microcellular lung cancer, it was demonstrated that both the similar radiological picture and similar symptoms in the patients could be caused by totally different nosological entities. Effective differential diagnosis is of decisive importance especially for those patients in whom preliminary diagnosis of the pulmonary hilus turns out to have neoplastic basis. Such diagnosis can be made only in a well-equipped specialistic department.