Pancoast Tumor Presenting as Neck Pain in the Chiropractic Office: A Case Report and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND Pancoast tumors, also called superior sulcus tumors, are a rare type of cancer affecting the lung apex. These tumors can spread to the brachial plexus and spine and present with symptoms that appear to be of musculoskeletal origin. CASE REPORT A 59-year-old Asian man presented to a chiropractor in Hong Kong with a 1-month history of neck and shoulder pain and numbness that had been treated unsuccessfully with exercise, medications, and acupuncture. He had an active history of tuberculosis, which was currently treated with antibiotics, and a 50-pack-year history of smoking. Cervical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed urgently, revealing a small cervical disc herniation thought to correspond with radicular symptoms. However, as the patient did not respond to a brief trial of care, a thoracic MRI was urgently ordered, revealing a large superior sulcus tumor invading the upper to mid-thoracic spine. The patient was referred for medical care and received radiotherapy and chemotherapy with a positive outcome. A literature review identified 6 previously published cases in which a patient presented to a chiropractor with an undiagnosed Pancoast tumor. All patients had shoulder, spine, and/or upper extremity pain. CONCLUSIONS Patients with a previously undiagnosed Pancoast tumor can present to chiropractors given that these tumors may invade the brachial plexus and spine, causing shoulder, spine, and/or upper extremity pain. Chiropractors should be aware of the clinical features and risk factors of Pancoast tumors to readily identify them and refer such patients for medical care.

Pancoast tumor presenting with multiple joint pains: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Pancoast tumors represent a unique subset of lung cancers wherein a primary neoplasm arises in the lung's apex and invades the surrounding soft tissues. One of the main challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of these apical lung cancers is that they are usually not visualized on initial chest x-ray and, by the time the patient presents with symptoms, the tumor has almost always invaded nearby structures. CASE PRESENTATION: Herein we report a case of a 58-year-old nonsmoking African American male who presented to the neurology clinic with a history of multiple chronic joint pains. The patient complained of shoulder pain that traveled into his right arm and right finger and had worsened over the past 9 months. The patient also reported decreased right proximal strength and swelling of his right hand. Magnetic resonance imaging of the shoulder and cervical region showed mild cervical spondylosis and a questionable right apical mass. A subsequent high-resolution computed tomography scan of the chest revealed a large right apical lung mass, with chest wall invasion and erosion of the adjacent ribs. Biopsy of the mass confirmed poorly differentiated non-small cell lung cancer. Radiation therapy was initiated, and the patient's pain improved significantly. Given the size of the tumor, chemotherapy was recommended by the oncology team. The patient decided against chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: This case highlights the importance of early diagnosis by expanding the differential diagnosis in patients presenting with weakness, sensory loss, and shoulder pain beyond radiculopathy or joint-related diseases. A comprehensive history and careful examination may lead to an earlier diagnosis, more appropriate treatment, and better outcome in cases of Pancoast tumor presenting with neuropathic or musculoskeletal pain.

Small Cell Lung Carcinoma with Pancoast Syndrome: A Case Report.

Small cell lung cancer mostly arises centrally in the large bronchi. The literature search revealed very limited cases of small cell lung cancer arising at the upper part of the pulmonary sulcus near the thoracic inlet as superior sulcus tumor and also manifesting with typical Pancoast syndrome. We report a case of a 71 years old male patient, presenting with features of Pancoast syndrome including Horner's syndrome with completed three cycles of chemotherapy resulting in partial response which concludes that small cell lung carcinoma has to be considered despite the clinical findings like pancoast syndrome.

[Do we inspecting the patient face who has shoulder pain?] / Omuz agrisi olan hastanin yüzünü de muayene ediyor muyuz?

A Pancoast or superior sulcus tumor is a rare, bronchogenic carcinoma. In the early period, shoulder pain is the most common symptom. In this case, the patient had presented with complaints of shoulder and arm pain at other outpatient clinics and was examined primarily for musculoskeletal causes and radiculopathy. The patient had no complaints of facial symptoms and Horner's syndrome signs, such as anhidrosis of the face and neck region, were not noticed. Advanced imaging of a patient with preganglionic Horner's syndrome is important. Fewer than 50% of patients with a Pancoast tumor have a resectable lesion at the first diagnosis. Diagnosis is often delayed or there may be a misdiagnosis because musculoskeletal disorders are the focus and there are few lung-related complaints. A detailed examination and anamnesis is very important in patients with arm and shoulder pain.

Pancoast tumour: current therapeutic options.

BACKGROUND: Pancoast's syndrome is caused by malignant neoplasm of superior sulcus of the lung which produces destructive lesions of thoracic inlet and comes along with the involvement of brachial plexus and stellate ganglion. Computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans can detect early lesions otherwise missed by routine radiographs and can also define the local extent or metastatic progression of the disease. Protocols involving combinations of irradiation, chemotherapy, and surgery are currently being under investigation to determine the best management. AIMS: This work reviewed the current diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to Pancoast's tumors. DISCUSSION: Patients with lung superior sulcus carcinoma should be considered for surgery only after an appropriate diagnostic assessment. The perfect candidate for surgery should have a confined to the chest disease with T3N0M0 staging. Inoperable patient with severe pain after irradiation therapy may benefit from palliative surgical resection. Medical therapy plays only a secondary role in lung cancers, patients with disseminated lung cancer might require palliative treatment and medical management of paraneoplastic syndrome symptoms. Following surgery, radiation and chemotherapy may improve local and systemic control by addressing individual adverse findings. CONCLUSIONS: The cooperation of surgeons, clinicians and radiologists represents the gold standard today and a multidisciplinary approach is essential to achieve the best outcome possible. Further studies are advisable in order to define the best surgical approach and the real advantage of mini-invasive surgery by comparison with open surgery.

Pancoast tumour presenting as shoulder pain with Horner's syndrome.

A 54-year-old man presented to the emergency department with a 4-week history of right shoulder pain radiating down his arm, with some associated sensory loss. Further questioning and examination in the department revealed a classical Horner's syndrome; miosis, partial ptosis and hemifacial anhidrosis. An initial chest X-ray was deemed to be unremarkable; however, further review by a radiologist noted asymmetrical right apical thickening. A subsequent high-resolution CT scan of the chest revealed a right-sided Pancoast tumour. This case highlights the importance of a thorough history and examination in identifying a rare cause of shoulder and/or back pain.

A case of pulmonary mucormycosis presented as Pancoast syndrome and bone destruction in an immunocompetent adult mimicking lung carcinoma.

Pulmonary mucormycosis is a rare opportunistic infection caused by Mucormycosis. This fungal infection is uncommon in immunocompetent individuals. Because of its various clinical and imaging manifestations, it is a diagnostic challenge to distinguish pulmonary mucormycosis from other pulmonary diseases, such as carcinoma. Herein, we report a case of pulmonary mucormycosis presenting as Pancoast syndrome and bone destruction of ribs. A 46-year-old Chinese woman was admitted due to pain in chest, right neck and arm for four months and hoarseness for one week. The pre-admission diagnosis via chest CT was pulmonary carcinoma. The subsequent bronchoalveolar lavage fluid analysis and bronchoscopic biopsy were negative for malignant cells, except chronic inflammation. Imaging-guided percutaneous biopsies were carried out after admission and the final pathological diagnosis was pulmonary mucormycosis. Although the patient was started on oral posaconazole of 400mg bid, the disease condition continued to deteriorate. She finally died of respiratory failure.

[Modern Management of Pancoast Tumour]. / Modernes Management des Pancoast-Tumors.

Pancoast or superior pulmonary sulcus tumour is a subset of lung carcinoma that invades the structures of the thoracic inlet - first ribs, distal roots of the brachial plexus, stellate ganglion, vertebrae, and subclavian vessels. The first symptom is usually shoulder pain; consequently, most patients are initially treated for osteoarthritis. Late diagnosis is common. Success of therapy depends on an accurate staging: standard imaging with CT scan of the chest, PET-CT scan, brain MRI are needed to rule out distant metastases, endobronchial ultrasound-guided needle biopsy (EBUS-TBNA) or mediastinoscopy are mandatory for reliable nodal staging. An MRI of the thoracic inlet allows to clearly define the boundaries of local invasion. Modern management of Pancoast tumour includes induction concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by surgical resection. As compared with historical series treated by preoperative radiation, a trimodally approach did enhance complete resection rates and perhaps long-term survival - from about 30% 5-year survival rate to 60% in R0-resected patients. In patients who have unresectable but non-metastatic Pancoast tumours and appropriate performance status, definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy and radiotherapy are recommended options.

Pleural lipoma clinically mimicking the presentation of superior sulcus tumour upon initial evaluation.

Here we present a case of a large pleural lipoma which presented with paresthesias of the hand. This is an unusual presentation of an uncommon tumour.

Management of Lung Cancer Invading the Superior Sulcus.

Superior sulcus tumors have posed a formidable therapeutic challenge since their original description by Pancoast and Tobias in the early twentieth century. Initial therapeutic efforts with radiotherapy were associated with high rates of relapse and mortality. Bimodality therapy with complete surgical resection in the 1960s paved the way for trimodality therapy as the current standard of care in the treatment of superior sulcus tumors. The evolution of treatment approaches over time has provided outcomes that come increasingly closer to rivaling those of similarly staged nonapical lung cancer.

Diagnosing and treating pancoast tumors.

INTRODUCTION: According to the American College of Chest Physician definition, a Pancoast tumor is a tumor which invades any of the structures of the apex of the chest including the first thoracic ribs or periosteum, the lower nerve roots of the bronchial plexus, the sympathetic chain and stellate gaglion near the apex of the chest or the subclavian vessels. Pancoast tumors account for less than 3-5 % of lung tumors. Areas covered: We searched the libraries scopus and pub med and found 124 related manuscripts. From those we chose 18 to include in our short commentary based on the most up-date information included. Expert commentary: The present status of the recommended treatment of Pancoast tumors for patients medically fit for surgical resection is trimodality (chemoradiation followed by radical surgery excersion) as state of the art. Patients with unresectable Pancoast tumors and poor PS 4 or distant metastasis are candidate for radiation therapy for palliation of symptoms and best supportive care. In this mini review we will present up to date information regarding diagnosis and treatment management.

Cirugía de cáncer de pulmón en combinación con cirugía reductora de volumen / Lung cancer surgery in combination with volume-reducing surgery

En cirugía torácica la evaluación de un paciente con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica muy grave constituye un reto para el equipo quirúrgico, dado que los resultados espirométricos pueden contraindicar la intervención. Este reporte de caso describe los criterios seguidos para definir las intervenciones quirúrgicas; la estrategia asumida por el grupo de tórax; el manejo anestésico y la evolución posterior del paciente, al cual se le realizó cirugía reductora del volumen pulmonar, con abordaje unilateral inicial en lóbulo superior derecho y cirugía definitiva al mes, con toracotomía posterolateral izquierda ulterior para resecar un tumor de Pancoast. Se evidenció disminución de la disnea e incremento gradual en la capacidad física después de cada proceder quirúrgico. El volumen espiratorio forzado en el primer segundo con relación a los valores predichos mejoró, de 25 por ciento a 38 por ciento, después de la cirugía y 41 por ciento a los seis meses. El índice de Tiffeneau varió de 0,43 a 0,57 y 0,60 después de dos cirugías torácicas. Como única complicación el paciente presentó dolor torácico crónico para el cual mantiene tratamiento médico. Se concluye que la realización de cirugía reductora del volumen pulmonar es una alternativa a evaluar en pacientes que presenten neoplasia de pulmón y enfisema pulmonar bulloso. El enfoque multidisciplinario perioperatorio es un pilar fundamental para lograr resultados satisfactorios(AU)

In thoracic surgery, assessing a patient with very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a challenge for the surgical team, since spirometric results may contraindicate the intervention. This case report describes the criteria used to define surgical interventions, the strategy assumed by the thorax group, the anesthetic management and subsequent evolution of the patient, who underwent lung volume reduction surgery, with an initial unilateral approach in the right upper lobe and final surgery a month later, with posterior left posterolateral thoracotomy to resect a Pancoast tumor. There was a decrease in dyspnea and a gradual increase in physical capacity after each surgical procedure. The forced expiratory volume in the first second in relation to the predicted values improved from 25 percent to 38 percent after surgery, and 41 percent six months later. Tiffeneau index varied from 0.43 to 0.57 and 0.60 after two thoracic surgeries. As a single complication, the patient presented chronic chest pain for which he maintains medical treatment. It is concluded that the performance of pulmonary volume reduction surgery is an alternative to gauge in patients with lung cancer and bullous pulmonary emphysema. The multidisciplinary perioperative approach is a fundamental pillar to achieve satisfactory results(AU)

VATS lobectomy combined with limited Shaw-Paulson thoracotomy for posterolateral Pancoast tumor.

PURPOSE: Several techniques have been proposed for the challenging surgical resection of Pancoast tumors. We describe a hybrid approach that combines video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy and limited Shaw-Paulson thoracotomy. METHODS: We report a case of Pancoast tumor in a 57-year-old man, staged as cT3N0M0, that was treated with induction chemoradiotherapy prior to the hybrid surgical approach. After thoracoscopic pleural cavity inspection, an upper right VATS lobectomy by a 3-port standard approach was performed. The chest wall was resected through a limited paravertebral incision, allowing the extraction of the lobe together with the rib segments. The posterior chest wall defect was repaired with a synthetic patch. RESULTS: The postoperative period was uneventful and the pain never exceed a score of 3 on a visual analogue scale. Pathological examination revealed nonvital tumor cells in the specimen (ypT0N0M0). The patient is disease free at 6 months' follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: With this approach we experienced excellent access to both the apical and hilar structures. Further experiences are needed to validate the role of VATS lobectomy in the multidisciplinary management of posterior Pancoast tumor.

[Pancoast tumor. A clinical case]. / Tumor de Pancoast etapa clínica IIb. A propósito de un caso.

We described a patient who was diagnosed with a Pancoast tumor in the Neumológico Benéfico Jurídico Hospital. This neoplastic non metastatic disease more frequently affects the brachial plexus. Therefore, a differential diagnosis of the painful shoulder was carried out and the patient was admitted in our center with the probable Pancoast tumor diagnosis. Subsequently, its study continued and the clinical suspicion was confirmed by a computerized tomography and a magnetic resonance, to be also confirmed later on with an anatomopathological study.

Se presenta el caso de un paciente al cual se le diagnosticó un tumor de Pancoast en el Hospital Neumológico Benéfico Jurídico. Esta enfermedad neoplásica no metastásica es la que más comúnmente compromete el plexo braquial de ahí que deba hacerse el diagnóstico diferencial del hombro doloroso, condición clínica esta con la cual es admitido en nuestro centro. Posteriormente se continuó su estudio y la sospecha clínica fue respaldada por tomografía computarizada y resonancia magnética para posteriormente ser confirmada a través del estudio anatomopatológico.

Tumor de Pancoast etapa clínica IIb. A propósito de un caso / [Pancoast tumor. A clinical case].

We described a patient who was diagnosed with a Pancoast tumor in the Neumológico Benéfico Jurídico Hospital. This neoplastic non metastatic disease more frequently affects the brachial plexus. Therefore, a differential diagnosis of the painful shoulder was carried out and the patient was admitted in our center with the probable Pancoast tumor diagnosis. Subsequently, its study continued and the clinical suspicion was confirmed by a computerized tomography and a magnetic resonance, to be also confirmed later on with an anatomopathological study.