Squamous cell lung cancer presenting with pulmonary lymphangitic carcinomatosis

Abstract

Pulmonary lymphangitic carcinomatosis (PLC) refers to the infiltration of lung lymphatic channels with metastatic carcinoma and is associated with a dismal prognosis. PLC accompanies circa 7% of all pulmonary metastases and is most commonly caused by various metastatic adenocarcinomas. Only two cases of PLC due to squamous cell lung carcinoma have been reported to date in the English literature. We report herein a unique case of squamous cell lung carcinoma with lymphangitic spread, displaying bilateral and diffuse bronchial tree involvement that might have been a result of invasion from the pulmonary lymphatics into the bronchial lumen.