Medical Image of the Week: Metastatic Colon Cancer to the Pleura

Written By Rick Robbins, M.D.

Figure 1. Pleuroscopy showing visceral (star) and parietal pleura (arrow) adenocarcinoma lesions.

A 55 year old man presented with recurrent exudative effusion of unexplained etiology. After non-diagnostic thoracentesis, pleuroscopy was performed.  Visceral (star) and parietal pleura (arrow) lesions were found (Figure 1).  Biopsies were performed and showed adenocarcinoma consistent with colon cancer on immunohistochemical staining.  Subsequent colonoscopy confirmed an asymptomatic colon cancer.

James L. Knepler, Jr. MD

Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine

Arizona Respiratory Center

University of Arizona 

Tucson, Arizona

Reference as: Knepler JL. Medical image of the week: metastatic colon cancer to the pleura. Southwest J Pulm Crit Care 2013(1);6:4. PDF

Rick Robbins, M.D.
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