Diagnosis of a rare primary pulmonary synovial sarcoma with endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration

Abstract

Primary pulmonary synovial sarcoma (PPSS) is a rare disease. Diagnosis is made postoperatively following resection of the tumor. We describe the case of a 39-year-old non-smoking woman whose chest imaging revealed a heterogeneous mass (5.4 cm × 4.6 cm), with soft tissue density in the right upper lobe and pleural effusion in the right hemithorax. The tumor was enhanced on a computed tomography scan, in which enlargement of the mediastinal lymph nodes compressing the adjacent superior vena cava was observed. Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) was then performed, which demonstrated PPSS, subsequently confirmed by immunohistochemistry and the detection of a SYT-SSX fusion gene. We believe that a diagnostic approach of EBUS-TBNA for lung sarcoma would provide helpful information to clinicians.

Keywords: Diagnosis; SYT-SSX fusion gene; endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration; primary pulmonary synovial sarcoma.