Baroud S, Moustafa S, Ibrahim H. Large Pleural Effusion Secondary to Primary Signet-Ring Cell Adenocarcinoma of the Lung.
Cureus 2021;
13:e19846. [PMID:
34976482 PMCID:
PMC8712097 DOI:
10.7759/cureus.19846]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary signet-ring cell adenocarcinomas (SRCA) that occur outside the gastrointestinal tract are rare with few cases reported in the literature. They carry a poor prognosis and can be a challenge to diagnose. In this case report, we present the case of a 69-year-old female who presented to our hospital with a large left-sided pleural effusion. The findings seen on histopathology and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining of the pleural fluid were consistent with primary signet-ring cell adenocarcinoma of the lung, and further investigations excluded a secondary source of malignancy.
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of pleural effusion without an underlying lung mass diagnosed as primary signet-ring cell adenocarcinoma of the lung. Given how rare primary signet-ring cell adenocarcinoma of the lung is, it is important for physicians to carry out a comprehensive diagnostic workup to differentiate between primary and metastatic signet-ring cell adenocarcinoma as this will determine prognosis and treatment.
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