A Case of Lymphoepithelioma-Like Carcinoma of the Lung.

Jung, Chi Young; Shim, Sang Woo; Park, Chang Kwon; Kwon, Kun Young; Jeon, Young June

doi:2011.71.5.363

Tuberc Respir Dis > Volume 71(5); 2011 > Article

Case Report

Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases 2011;71(5):363-367.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2011.71.5.363 Published online November 1, 2011.

A Case of Lymphoepithelioma-Like Carcinoma of the Lung.

Chi Young Jung, Sang Woo Shim, Chang Kwon Park, Kun Young Kwon, Young June Jeon

¹Department of Internal Medicine, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea. jcy2475@dsmc.or.kr
²Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, and 3Pathology, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
³Department of Pathology, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.

Abstract

Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) of the lung is a very rare tumor. Originally described in the nasopharynx as lymphoepithelioma, this carcinoma has also been found in the stomach, esophagus, thymus, cervix, urinary bladder, skin, and salivary glands. Histologically, it is an undifferentiated carcinoma that has a syncytial appearance with tumor cells and is infiltrated by numerous lymphocytes, macrophages, and plasma cells. LELC of the lung occurs more commonly in Asians, particularly Chinese. Many studies have reported the association between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and LELC of the lung in Asian patients. A 45-year-old man had a solitary pulmonary nodule on a routine chest X-ray examination. As a malignant tumor was suspected, surgical resection was performed to establish the correct diagnosis. The pathology of the excised tumor demonstrated LELC of the lung. This is the first report of LELC of the lung in Korea.

Key Words: Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung, Solitary Pulmonary Nodule, Lung Neoplasms, Herpesvirus 4, Human