Successful surgical resection of an incidental primary lung giant cell carcinoma

Abstract

Giant cell carcinomas of the lung (GCCL) are aggressive tumors, with most patients having metastatic disease at presentation. However, giant cell carcinomas of the lungs are rare and account for 0.1%-0.4% of primary lung malignancies. Thus, the literature on the disease is limited. This case report presents an asymptomatic young patient with an incidental lung mass on a background of childhood abdominal rhabdomyosarcoma with lung metastasis. After undergoing surgical resection, the final tumor pathology was in keeping with primary giant cell carcinoma. The purpose of this case report is to contribute to the understanding of giant cell carcinomas of the lung.

Keywords: GCCL; case report; giant cell carcinoma of the lung; lung mass; pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma.