Pulmonary Mucinous Cystadenocarcinoma: Report a Case and Review of CT Findings

Abstract

A pulmonary mucinous cystadenocarcinoma is an extremely rare tumor that is considered to be a cystic variant of mucin-producing lung adenocarcinoma. We present a case of pulmonary mucinous cystadenocarcinoma in a 54-year-old woman. Chest CT scans showed a 4.3-cm-sized, lobulated, well-defined, and homogeneous mass in the right middle lobe with peripheral stippled calcifications that demonstrated low-attenuation with no enhancement after contrast administration; 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT demonstrated mild heterogeneous FDG uptake. The mass was diagnosed as adenocarcinoma with mucin production by transbronchial lung biopsy. Right middle lobectomy was performed, and the pathologic examination disclosed a pulmonary mucinous cystadenocarcinoma.

A diagnostic challenge: An incidental lung nodule in a 48-year-old nonsmoker

“…Lesions can present atypically but often present as ground glass opacities. They can be ill-defined, low-attenuating, cavitary nodules with wall and septal enhancement on CT.[ 6 7 ] Often, calcifications are identified in the septae; however, cases can present with no septal enhancement. [ 7 ] While cystic neoplasms of the lung carry wide differential diagnoses, mucus production can narrow this list.…”

“…While mucinous adenocarcinoma can mimic pulmonary mucinous cystadenocarcinoma, it generally does not present with mucoceles or bronchoceles, which can therefore distinguish the two. [ 7 ]…”

A rare pleural mucinous cystadenocarcinoma mimicking loculated empyema initially: A case report

“…These findings were compatible with prior reports of PMC. Imaging finding of PMC is a well-demarcated, multilocular or unilocular, homogeneous, low attenuated or cystic lesion with partial septal or mural enhancement on CT.[289] These findings suggest the spillage of malignant cells from primary PMC into the pleural space rather than primary pleural mucinous cystadenocarcinoma with adjacent parenchymal invasion.…”

Resection of a Solitary Pulmonary Metastasis from Prostatic Adenocarcinoma Misdiagnosed as a Bronchocele: Usefulness of 18F-Choline and 18F-FDG PET/CT

“…2). In our hypothesis, at this point, this phospholipidic hypermetabolism into the mucocele might be compatible with a mucus infection, a slowly evolutive malignant lung tumor such as a mucinous cystadenocarcinoma, 3 a neuroendocrine carcinoma, 4 a metastasis, 5 or even a lung surfactant accumulation into the bronchocele, as 18 F-Choline could be metabolized as phosphatidylcholine in mucus production. 6 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT scan was then performed to characterize the pulmonary lesion whether glucose metabolism in that abnormality favored a benign or malignant process.…”