Thoracoscopic implantation of cancer with a fatal outcome

Ann Thorac Surg. 1995 Jan;59(1):42-5. doi: 10.1016/0003-4975(94)00794-8.

Abstract

A case is presented in which an indeterminate lung lesion was extracted through an accessory incision during a video-assisted thoracic surgical lung biopsy. The lesion was malignant, and a completion lobectomy was performed. An incisional recurrence developed 5 months later, and this was treated with a wide chest wall resection and reconstruction. However, there was a second massive chest wall recurrence that proved fatal. We believe that tumor seeding to the chest wall occurred at thoracoscopy. To prevent such tumor seeding, thoracoscopic biopsy specimens should be removed in some sort of receptacle when cancer is suspected.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / surgery
  • Aged
  • Biopsy, Needle / adverse effects
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Humans
  • Lung / pathology
  • Lung Neoplasms / surgery
  • Male
  • Neoplasm Seeding*
  • Thoracic Neoplasms / etiology*
  • Thoracoscopy / adverse effects*