Pleomorphic carcinoma (spindle and giant cell) of the lung

Pleomorphic carcinoma is a rare, very aggressive subtype of lung cancer that follows the clinical pattern of carcinosarcoma. The tumors tend to present as a peripheral mass frequently showing a mixture of spindle and giant cell features and often are associated with other, more common histologic subtypes of lung carcinoma. Clinical outcome is poor, with median survival of ten months. This article describes an unusual lung tumor (pleomorphic carcinoma) in a patient presenting with explosive symptoms suggesting an infection.