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Correspondence
Mesenchymal cystic hamartoma? A revised diagnosis after 23 years
  1. Erik H F M van der Heijden1,
  2. Suzanne E J Kaal2,
  3. Henk H M Hassing5,
  4. Ad F T M Verhagen3,
  5. Monica Looijen-Salamon4
  1. 1 Department of Pulmonary Disease, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre Nijmegen, The Netherlands
  2. 2 Department of Medical Oncology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre Nijmegen, The Netherlands
  3. 3 Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre Nijmegen, The Netherlands
  4. 4 Department of Pathology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre Nijmegen, The Netherlands
  5. 5 Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Viecuri Hospital Venlo, The Netherlands
  1. Correspondence to Dr Erik H F M van der Heijden, 454 Department of Pulmonary Diseases, PO Box 9101, Nijmegen 6500 HB, The Netherlands; H.vanderHeijden{at}long.umcn.nl

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In 1994, we published a rare case report of a left sided pneumothorax caused by a mesenchymal cystic hamartoma (MCH) in this journal (Thorax 1994;49:1175–6).1

After a follow-up of 23 years, the same patient was referred for a left sided pain and thoracic mass at age 36 years. At age 14 years, a left sided thoracotomy was performed for recurrent pneumothorax followed by lobectomy of the left lower lobe in which a MCH was diagnosed.1 Now his symptoms started almost 1 year before referral. Analysis showed an inhomogeneous mass in the lower left thoracic cavity with metabolic activity on the F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-PET scan. Follow up CT-scans showed slow progression (figure 1) and CT-guided biopsy showed a monophasic malignant tumour consisting of spindle cells, immunohistochemically positive for vimentin and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) …

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Footnotes

  • Contributors EHFMvanderH: responsible for interpretation of clinical data and clinical treatment, principal physician in writing the draft version and critical revision of the manuscript. He approved the final version of the manuscript and he has no competing interests. He is guarantor of the manuscript taking responsibility for the integrity of the work as a whole from the inception to its publication. SEJK: responsible for interpretation of clinical data, clinical treatment and critical revision and final approval of the manuscript. She has no competing interests. HHMH: critical revision of the manuscript. He approved the final version of the manuscript and has no competing interests. AdFTMV: responsible for interpretation of clinical data, clinical treatment and critical revision and final approval of the manuscript. He approved the final version of the manuscript and has no competing interests. ML-S: responsible for interpretation of clinical data, and critical revision and final approval of the manuscript, she provided the photomicrograph image. She approved the final version of the manuscript and has no competing interests.

  • Competing interests None.

  • Patient consent Obtained.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; internally peer reviewed.