J Korean Soc Radiol.  2010 Feb;62(2):145-148. 10.3348/jksr.2010.62.2.145.

Pleomorphic Carcinoma with the Air-Crescent and CT Halo Signs: A Case Report

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Radiology, St. Vincent's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Korea. jhb@dreamwiz.com
  • 2Department of Radiology, Our Lady of Mercy Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Korea.
  • 3Department of Pathology, St. Vincent's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Korea.
  • 4Department of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery, St. Vincent's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Korea.

Abstract

A pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma is a rare, poorly differentiated, primary malignancy. We report an atypical manifestation of this rare tumor, with the air crescent and CT halo signs.


MeSH Terms

Lung Neoplasms
Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Figure

  • Fig. 1 Pleomorphic carcinoma in a 38-year-old woman. A. Initial chest PA reveals a thick-walled cavitary mass with an air crescent sign in the right lower lobe of the lung. B. Axial contrast enhanced CT scan shows a 6 cm sized, lobulated, inhomogeneous enhancing mass located at the periphery of the right lower lobe of the lung (white thick arrow). Note the segmental atelectasis at the anterior basal segment, caused by the obstruction of the mass. C. The CT image obtained using lung window settings shows a crescent-shaped air space (arrowhead) as well as peritumoral areas of ground glass attenuation (double thin black arrows). Note the relatively sharp interface between the ground glass attenuation and normal lung parenchyma. D. Photomicrograph of the histopathological specimen shows solid tumor with multi-nucleated giant cells (inset) and adenocarcinoma mixed subtype with BAC in the surrounding parenchyma. (H & E, ×12) The peritumoral areas of ground glass attenuation represent the BAC component (arrows) of this tumor. E. Photomicrograph shows the adenocarcinoma component of the tumor. Note the cluster of tumor cells within the cystic space. The wall of the cystic space is also lined with adenocarcinoma tumor cells (arrows). (H & E, ×12)


Reference

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