Presentation
Cough
Patient Data
Age: 85 years
Gender: Male
From the case:
Cavitating lung cancer
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A large right upper lobe cavitary lesion, with air-fluid level. Left midzone atelectasis. No pleural effusion. Cardiomediastinal contour is within normal limits. No destruction bone lesion.
Case Discussion
Simple case of consolidation with cavitation, in this case secondary to primary lung cancer in a smoker.
Differential diagnosis for a cavitating lung lesion is the mnemonic CAVITY:
-
C: cancer
- bronchogenic carcinoma: most frequently SCC
- cavitatory pulmonary metastasis(es): again most frequently SCC
-
A: autoimmune; granulomas from
- Wegener's granulomatosis
- rheumatoid arthritis (rheumatoid nodules) etc.
- V: vascular (both bland and septic pulmonary embolus)
- I: infection (bacterial/fungal)
- T: trauma - pneumatocoeles
- Y: youth