Ground-glass nodule in a patient with echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (EML4-ALK)-positive lung cancer: a case report

World Journal of Surgical Oncology

Case Report

Hiroyuki Suzuki¹  Mitsunori Higuchi¹  Atsushi Yonechi²  Yuki Owada² 

[1] Department of Regenerative Surgery, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, 1 Hikarigaoka, 960-1295, Fukushima, Japan;Department of Thoracic Surgery, Takeda General Hospital, Fukushima, Japan;Department of Regenerative Surgery, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, 1 Hikarigaoka, 960-1295, Fukushima, Japan;

关键词: Lung cancer;    EML4-ALK-positive;    Ground-glass nodule;    Surgery;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12957-016-0841-5

 received in 2015-08-14, accepted in 2016-03-05,  发布年份 2016

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundGrand-glass nodule for CT image has thought to be less aggressive tumor in lung cancer. Echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (EML4-ALK)-positive lung cancer presenting with Ground-glass nodules (GGNs) is relatively rare, and few such cases have been reported.Case presentationAn asymptomatic 56-year-old woman exhibited a 1.1-cm GGN in the lower lobe of the left lung on computed tomography during a medical checkup. Positron emission tomography showed no difference in uptake by the nodule compared with other organs. We elected to perform surgery because the nodule included a solid component and had grown only slightly during the last 2 years according to thin-section computed tomography. Partial resection of the lower left lung was performed by video-assisted thoracic surgery. Pathological examination revealed mucus-producing high columnar epithelium forming an irregular tubular-acinar-like structure partly replacing the alveolar epithelium on hematoxylin and eosin staining. More than 50 % of the tumor demonstrated a lepidic growth pattern. The tumor was negative for epidermal growth factor receptor mutation but positive for the EML4-ALK fusion oncogene according to fluorescence in situ hybridization.ConclusionsWe herein report a case of EML4-ALK-positive lung cancer presenting with a GGN along with a review of the relevant literature, including histopathological findings and imaging features. We consider that EML4-ALK-positive lung cancer is often highly progressive and that careful follow-up is therefore essential in these patients.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Owada et al. 2016