PulmonaryCarcinoid Tumorlet: a Neoplastic Affection?

Overview

A 66-year-old woman, non-smoker, with a diffuse bilateral pulmonary interstitial involvementcaused by multiple carcinoid tumorlets associated with a diffuse idiopathic pulmonary neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia (DIPNECH). The process has developed during the last two years of thepatient’s life. There were no pathologic changes in the remnant pulmonary parenchyma. Moreover, the minute typical carcinoid (5.2 mm) was encountered after extensive pulmonary tissueexamination. The spectrum of DIPNECH, multiple tumorlets, and typical carcinoid tumor demonstrates a possible neoplastic character of the pulmonary tumorlet.

Key words:
lung - pulmonary tumorlet - DIPNECH - carcinoid