Case Report

A Case of Lung Adenocarcinoma in Patient with Left Clavicular Pain

  • İzzet Göker Küçük
  • Şirin Küçük
  • Didem Sunay

Meandros Med Dent J 2014;15(1):51-54

Lung adenocarcinoma is usually seen in non-smoking women under the age of 40 and occupies the first place among the preventable causes of death. A 62-year-old male patient who had pain on the left clavicle for 2 years had a history of smoking 1 pack/day for 40 years and his physical examination showed that he had tenderness on the medial left clavicle and left sternocostal joint. The patient's radiological examination revealed a 4.5x5 cm mass extending from the left hillus to the periphery by pulmonary radiography. A whole-body positron emission tomography / computed tomography was performed and an area, 0.6 cm in size, with hypermetabolic activity was found on the left sternocostal joint. It was speculated that the area may have resulted from degeneration or trauma. The mass which was located in the posterobasal segment of the lower lobe of the left lung and which was 4.5x5.2x4.5 cm in size was found hypermetabolic to the extent of malignancy. Tracheobronchial lung biopsy and bronchoalveolar lavage were performed from the left lower lobe apical subsegments. The case was diagnosed as adenocarcinoma grade 1-2. Whereupon left lower lobectomy and lymph node dissection were carried out. Pathology result showed that the patient had a well-differentiated adenocarcinoma with a dominant papillary component. Early diagnosis and treatment are extremely important in the prognosis of lung cancer. The present case report highlights the importance of anamnesis, physical examination and follow-up in the patient who presented with left clavicle pain.

Keywords: Lung, adenocancer, left clavicle pain