Abstract
Bronchial carcinoids are low-grade neuroendocrine tumors with slow growth rates and the potential to spread to nearby lymph nodes. Here we present a challenging case of bronchial carcinoid visualized alongside an adjacent benign bronchocele. Chest computed tomography (CT) identified the endobronchial mass with unclear morphological and diagnostic insights. A differential diagnosis of several benign and malignant etiologies was made. Subsequently, an endobronchial biopsy confirmed lung carcinoid. For better evaluation, a 68Ga-labeled 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N’,N’’,N’’’-tetraacetic acid-d-Phe1-Tyr3-octreotide (68Ga-DOTATOC) positron emission tomography/CT scan was performed. The scan revealed a locally confined endobronchial mass with intense 68Ga-DOTATOC expression. Adjacent benign bronchocele was visualized with insignificant 68Ga-DOTATOC expression. Histopathological examination of the resected upper lobe confirmed these findings. This case highlights the importance of somatostatin receptor imaging in accurately identifying the extent of carcinoid tumors in the primary, nodal, and metastatic domains.
Keywords:
Bronchocele, bronchial carcinoid, diagnostic challenge, 68Ga-DOTATOC, somatostatin receptor imaging, PET/CT
Ethics
Informed Consent: Informed consent was obtained from the patient.
Authorship Contributions
Surgical and Medical Practices: A.A.-I., R.A., B.A., A.S.A., H.H., Concept: A.A.-I., R.A., B.A., A.S.A., Design: A.A.-I., R.A., B.A., Data Collection or Processing: A.A.-I., R.A., B.A., H.H., Analysis or Interpretation: A.A.-I., A.S.A., H.H., Literature Search: R.A., A.S.A., Writing: A.A.-I., A.S.A.
Conflict of Interest: No conflicts of interest were declared by the authors.
Financial Disclosure: The authors declare that this study has received no financial support.
References
1Araujo-Castro M, Pascual-Corrales E, Molina-Cerrillo J, Moreno Mata N, Alonso-Gordoa T. Bronchial Carcinoids: From Molecular Background to Treatment Approach. Cancers (Basel). 2022;14:520.
2Kakarla B. Bronchocele, a common but underrecognized condition: a systematic review. Monaldi Arch Chest Dis. 2022;93.
3Yadav V, Rathi V. Bronchial carcinoid with bronchocele masquerading as Scimitar syndrome on chest radiograph. Radiol Case Rep. 2021;16:710-713.
4Sandhu FA, Martuza RL. Craniofacial hemangiopericytoma associated with oncogenic osteomalacia: case report. J Neurooncol. 2000;46:241-247.
5Shikhare SN. Imaging of Thoracic Malignancies. Thoracic Imaging. 2019:101-146.