Korean J Cytopathol.  2008 Sep;19(2):206-208. 10.3338/kjc.2008.19.2.206.

Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma with a Micropapillary Pattern Detected by Bronchial Washing: A Brief Case Report

• Park JH
• Ha SY
• Cho HY
• Chung DH
• Kim NR
• Park S

• KMID: 2144038
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3338/kjc.2008.19.2.206

Abstract

Adenocarcinomas with micropapillary patterns are generally aggressive and show lymphotropism. Only a few reports on pulmonary adenocarcinoma with micropapillary patterns have described cytologic findings. A 70-year-old Korean woman was admitted to the hospital because of intermittent dry cough and chest pain. Cytology after bronchial washing showed neoplastic cells in small, angulated, cohesive clusters consisting of 3-20 cells without a fibrovascular core. The resected right middle lobe showed a tumor occupying almost the entire lobe. Histologically, about 90% of neoplastic cells proliferated with micropapillary morphology in the background of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma. Cytologic smears of a bronchial washing showing tumor cells in small, cohesive clusters without a fibrovascular core may indicate an adenocarcinoma with micropapillary pattern.

Keyword

Lung; Micropapillary; Cytology

MeSH Terms

Adenocarcinoma
Adenocarcinoma, Bronchiolo-Alveolar
Aged
Chest Pain
Cough
Female
Humans
Lung