Endoscopic resection of bronchial mucoepidermoid carcinoma in a young adult man: A case report and review of literature

Abstract

BACKGROUND Primary tracheobronchial mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC), derived from salivary mucus glands, is an uncommon neoplasm in adults. At present, surgery is still the preferred treatment for adult bronchial MEC, although it may cause significant trauma and loss of lung function. Here, we report a patient with endobronchial MEC who received the interventional bronchoscopic therapy to remove the neoplasm and no recurrence occurred during follow-up. CASE SUMMARY A 28-year-old man was admitted to our unit with mild hemoptysis for 3 d. Physical examination did not show any abnormal signs, and the serological indexes were all in the normal range. Chest computed tomography (CT) indicated an intraluminal nodule in the bronchus intermedius with homogeneous density and a well-defined margin. Upon fiberoptic bronchoscopy, an endobronchial pedunculated polypoid was discovered without submucosal involvement. As the neoplasm was confined to the bronchus, interventional bronchoscopy was performed to remove the mass by high-frequency electric knife and laser resection. Tissue was sampled and histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of low-grade MEC. As the proliferation index was low, no further treatment was given. During 2 years of follow-up, the patient’s condition was good and no relapse was discovered under fluorescence bronchoscopy or CT scan. CONCLUSION Interventional bronchoscopy can be considered for treatment of low-grade bronchial MEC, with few complications and preserved lung function.

Mucinous epidermoid carcinoma of the lung with ALK mutation: Case report and literature review

“…It is usually thought to originate from the ductal epithelial cells of the tracheal and bronchial submucosal glands, and its incidence accounts for 0.2% of primary lung tumors. [1,2] PMEC has atypical clinical features, complex pathologic and histologic components, and difficulty in preoperative diagnosis, and its traditional treatment is single, mainly surgical treatment, and the effect of adjuvant radiotherapy is still unsatisfactory. [3] Currently, the research progress of molecular targeted therapy is in full swing, and immunotherapy has opened a new chapter in human tumor treatment, but there is less experience in targeted therapy and immunotherapy for PMEC.…”