Pulmonary vasculitis may obscure large cell lung carcinoma. A case report

Several vasculitic syndromes are recognized as paraneoplasti c symdromes of an underlying malignant disease. Most frequently small vessel vasculitis of the skin has been rep o rt e d. We describe the case of a 62-year-old man with a pulmonary mass due to pul m o n a ry vasculitis. After resection of the pulmonary mass, the patient dis played bone metastasis. Retrospective ly, tumor cells were found in the pulmonary mass that had been resected 9 months before. In this case report the rare association of vasculitis and lung carcinoma is reviewed. Our report indicates that pul monary vasculitis may obscure the histologic findings of lung carcinoma and t h at in patients with localized pul monary vasculitis special attention has to be paid to the possible presence of malignant cells.