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Pulmonary Tumor Embolism due to Oropharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosed by a Transbronchial Lung Biopsy

Anai M, Hamada S, Jodai T, Okabayashi H, Saruwatari K, Tomita Y, Ichiyasu H, Sakagami T

Internal medicine (Tokyo, Japan), 2025

Abstract

Pulmonary tumor embolisms (PTEs) are primarily caused by adenocarcinoma. However, only a few cases of oropharyngeal carcinoma have been reported. We herein report a 47-year-old man who presented with a fever, cough, and dyspnea 6 months after treatment for stage II oropharyngeal carcinoma. Chest computed tomography revealed centrilobular granular and nodular shadows and subpleural consolidation. A transbronchial lung biopsy revealed a mass of squamous tumor cells forming emboli in the small vessels, resulting in the diagnosis of PTE due to oropharyngeal carcinoma. Therefore, PTE should be considered for patients with a history of hypoxia.

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