[The 1st case in Spain of detection of occult squamous carcinoma using LIFE system]

LIFE system (lung imaging fluorescence endoscope) is a new system of detection for early lung cancer using a He-Cd laser through a conventional fiberoptic bronchoscope. This system is able to capture and processing the autofluorescence from the bronchial mucosa and to show it in a video screen in real time. In the screen the normal tissue appears in green colour and the neoplastic tissue in brown colour. The first studies performed with LIFE system show the same specificity of the conventional bronchoscopy but the sensibility is 50% higher. In this paper we present the first case of detection of a occult squamous cell carcinoma with sputum and bronchial aspiration cytology positive for carcinoma but chest X ray, CT scanner and bronchoscopy negative for lung cancer. The LIFE system was able to detect carcinoma in the carina.