Urinary bladder carcinoma (UBC) is the ninth most common malignancy and the second most common urological malignancy after prostate cancer in men. Thoracic metastases occur in more than half of those with muscle-invasive disease, and these generally assume the form of multiple solid parenchymal lesions characteristic of hematogenous seeding of the lung. Unusual patterns of thoracic spread of UBC have also been described albeit sporadically in the form of case reports and series. The aim of our case series is to provide illustrations of several atypical patterns of thoracic involvement by UBC such as isolated mediastinal lymphadenopathy, cavitary lung metastases, malignant pleural effusion, endobronchial disease, and pulmonary tumor embolism. This review is meant to highlight the intersection of the fields of urological oncology and thoracic radiology in the care of patients with UBC.

The complex embryology of the anterior mediastinum makes it home to an array of primary neoplasms tied to the presence of the thyroid and thymus glands in that compartment. While the occurrence of ectopic thyroid deposits in the extramediastinal thorax has not been convincingly established, the other three “Ts” of the classic “4T” mnemonic for the differential diagnosis of an anterior mediastinal mass have occurred in the lung parenchyma, pleural space, and endobronchially as primary tumors. Finding any of the three lesions – thymoma, teratoma, or B-cell lymphoma – in the chest outside the mediastinum is very unusual, but that possibility exists. Herein, we illustrate examples of this rare phenomenon.

A 54-year-old man with AIDS and a history of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia presented with chronic cough and weight loss for 1 year. There was no haemoptysis. He had normal vital signs and was afebrile. Lung auscultation was normal. Laboratory evaluation was unremarkable. Chest radiography revealed bilateral upper lobe cavities with internal densities (figure 1). CT of the chest demonstrated these apical cavities to contain material consistent with a mycetoma (fungus ball). Adjacent pleural thickening and areas of consolidation and fibrosis were also present (figure 2). A CT scan performed 2 years previously showed normal lung parenchyma. Sputum fungal culture subsequently grew Aspergillus fumigatus. No antifungal therapy was administered, and the patient was eventually lost to follow-up.