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[Pancoast syndrome caused by lung tuberculosis]
M Arenas Gordillo1, F Ortega Ruiz, R Otero Candelera
1Servicio de Neumología, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Sevilla.
Archivos De Bronconeumologia
|July 10, 1998
Summary
Pancoast's syndrome, typically caused by tumors, can rarely stem from infections like tuberculosis. This case highlights the diagnostic challenges and need for invasive procedures when noninvasive methods fail to identify the cause.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Infectious Diseases
- Pulmonology
Background:
- Pancoast's syndrome is a clinical manifestation typically associated with apical lung tumors.
- Neoplasms account for the vast majority (95%) of Pancoast's syndrome etiologies.
- Infectious causes of Pancoast's syndrome are exceptionally rare.
Observation:
- A patient presented with symptoms indicative of Pancoast's syndrome.
- The patient experienced significant pain attributed to plexopathy.
- Initial diagnostic evaluations using noninvasive methods were inconclusive.
Findings:
- The underlying cause of Pancoast's syndrome in this patient was identified as tuberculosis.
- This case represents a rare instance of Pancoast's tumor secondary to a tuberculous infection.
- The diagnostic difficulty necessitated an open biopsy for definitive diagnosis.
Implications:
- This case underscores the importance of considering infectious etiologies, such as tuberculosis, in the differential diagnosis of Pancoast's syndrome.
- It highlights the limitations of noninvasive diagnostic techniques in certain Pancoast's syndrome presentations.
- The findings emphasize the potential need for surgical intervention, like open biopsy, for accurate diagnosis in challenging cases.