A Case of Rapidly Deteriorating Lymphangitic Carcinomatosis in a Patient with Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer

Pulmonary lymphangitic carcinomatosis (PLC) is defined as a tumor in the lung lymphatic vessels. It is rarely seen as a result of malignancy and generally carries a poor prognosis. Proper knowledge of the clinical presentation is important for physicians to be aware of in order to consider a diagnos...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2019-04, Vol.11 (4), p.e4421
Main Authors: Aslam, Hafiz M, Zhi, Cassandra, Nadeem, Muhammad, Arsalan, Mohammad, Wallach, Sara L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biopsy
Cardiovascular disease
Case reports
Dyspnea
Family medical history
HIV
Hospitals
Human immunodeficiency virus
Internal Medicine
Lung diseases
Lungs
Lymphatic system
Medical diagnosis
Medical imaging
Medical prognosis
Medicine
Melanoma
Oncology
Pancreatic cancer
Pneumonia
Pulmonology
Respiratory failure
Substance abuse treatment
X-rays
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Summary:Pulmonary lymphangitic carcinomatosis (PLC) is defined as a tumor in the lung lymphatic vessels. It is rarely seen as a result of malignancy and generally carries a poor prognosis. Proper knowledge of the clinical presentation is important for physicians to be aware of in order to consider a diagnosis of PLC. We present the case of a 52-year-old Caucasian gentleman who initially came to the hospital with a three-week history of dyspnea. In the hospital, a diagnosis of Stage 4 pancreatic cancer with a lymphangitic spread of the tumor to the lungs was made. Despite optimal treatment, the patient required mechanical ventilation for acute hypoxic respiratory failure. PLC is a relatively rare manifestation of malignancy; yet, it generally carries a poor prognosis. It may occur during the course of malignancy or may represent as the first findings in malignancy. It is important for physicians to be aware of the clinical presentations of PLC in order to ensure timely treatment. Oftentimes, PLC can be diagnosed through clinical judgment alone without the need for radiological support and other invasive measures.
ISSN:2168-8184
2168-8184
DOI:10.7759/cureus.4421