Cavitating pulmonary metastases
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Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Weerakkody Y, Sharma R, Knipe H, et al. Cavitating pulmonary metastases. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 27 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-21777
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rID:
21777
Article created:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Yuranga Weerakkody had no recorded disclosures.
View Yuranga Weerakkody's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Rohit Sharma had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Rohit Sharma's current disclosures
Revisions:
17 times, by
11 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Synonyms:
- Cavitating pulmonary metastasis
- Cavitatory pulmonary metastases
- Cavitatory pulmonary metastasis
- Cavitatory lung metastasis
- Cavitatory lung metastases
- Cavitating lung metastasis
- Cavitating lung metastases
Cavitating pulmonary metastases refer to pulmonary metastases which then tend to cavitate. The term is similar but may not be identical to cystic pulmonary metastases in which the wall of the former may be thicker.
On this page:
Epidemiology
Cavitation is thought to occur in around 4% of lung metastases 2.
Pathology
Cavitary pulmonary metastases can come from the following primaries:
squamous cell carcinoma (70%): lung or head and neck primary 1,4,6
adenocarcinoma: gastrointestinal tract, breast 4,6
sarcoma 4
pancreatic adenocarcinoma: very rare 8
Cavitating pulmonary metastases have also been reported to develop after chemotherapy, thought to be secondary to tumor necrosis or a valve-effect on an adjacent bronchus 4,5.
Treatment and prognosis
Complications
One particular complication that can occur includes the formation of a pneumothorax or a hemopneumothorax.
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Differential diagnosis
For multiple cavitating lung lesions (nodules or masses) on imaging consider:
necrobiotic lung nodules: rare
pulmonary tuberculosis: upper lobe predominant consolidative region with cavitation
References
- 1. Chaudhuri MR. Cavitary pulmonary metastases. Thorax. 1970;25 (3): 375-81. Free text at pubmed - Pubmed citation
- 2. Boitsios G, Bankier AA, Eisenberg RL. Diffuse pulmonary nodules. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2010;194 (5): W354-66. AJR Am J Roentgenol (full text) - doi:10.2214/AJR.10.4345 - Pubmed citation
- 3. Alexander PW, Sanders C, Nath H. Cavitary pulmonary metastases in transitional cell carcinoma of urinary bladder. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1990;154 (3): 493-4. AJR Am J Roentgenol (citation) - Pubmed citation
- 4. Seo JB, Im JG, Goo JM et-al. Atypical pulmonary metastases: spectrum of radiologic findings. Radiographics. 2001;21 (2): 403-17. Radiographics (full text) - Pubmed citation
- 5. Thalinger A, Rosenthal S, Borg S, Arseneau J. Cavitation of Pulmonary Metastases as a Response to Chemotherapy. Cancer. 1980;46(6):1329-32. doi:10.1002/1097-0142(19800915)46:6<1329::aid-cncr2820460605>3.0.co;2-q - Pubmed
- 6. Chaudhuri MR. Cavitary pulmonary metastases. Thorax. 1970;25 (3): 375-81. Free text at pubmed - Pubmed citation
- 7. Martínez-Jiménez S, Rosado-de-Christenson ML, Walker CM et-al. Imaging features of thoracic metastases from gynecologic neoplasms. Radiographics. 2014;34 (6): 1742-54. doi:10.1148/rg.346140052 - Pubmed citation
- 8. Virgilio E, Iannicelli E, Balducci G. RE: Atypical pulmonary metastases from pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Korean journal of radiology. 15 (3): 399-400. doi:10.3348/kjr.2014.15.3.399 - Pubmed
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