Cannonball metastases (lungs)

Last revised by Ian Bickle on 2 Aug 2024

Cannonball metastases refer to multiple large, well-circumscribed, round pulmonary metastases that appear not unsurprisingly like cannonballs. The French terms "envolée de ballons" and "lâcher de ballons",  which translate to "balloons release", are also used to describe this same appearance.

Metastases with such an appearance are classically secondary to 1,2:

Or less common primary tumors:

Differential diagnosis

Cases and figures

  • Case 1: from renal cell carcinoma
  • Cannonballs (illustration)
  • Case 2: from colorectal cancer
  • Case 3: from renal cell carcinoma
  • Case 4: from renal cell carcinoma
  • Case 5: from alveolar soft part sarcoma
  • Case 6: from synovial sarcoma
  • Case 7: from endometrial cancer
  • Case 8: from renal carcinoma
  • Case 9: from colorectal cancer
  • Case 10: from breast cancer
  • Case 11: from prostate carcinoma
  • Case 12: from renal cell carcinoma
  • Case 13: from transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder
  • Case 14: from renal cell carcinoma
  • Case 15: from uterine choriocarcinoma
  • Case 18: from breast cancer
  • Case 19: from renal cell carcinoma
  • Case 20: from uterine sarcoma
  • Case 21: from gastric adenocarcinoma
  • Case 22: from adenoid cystic carcinoma
  • Case 23: Clear renall cell carcinoma
  • Case 23: Clear renall cell carcinoma

Imaging differential diagnosis

  • Diffuse idiopathic pulmonary neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia with pulmonary carcinoid tumor
  • Pulmonary hydatid infection
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