Zhu J - This study explored the diagnostic experience of pulmonary sclerosing pneumocytoma (PSP) and lung cancer. Findings showed that PSP, not only emerged as a rare entity but also was difficult to differentiate from lung cancer. In most patients, cough and sputum were the presenting symptoms and its prevalence was more frequent in 40–70-year-old non-smoking women. It was commonly characterized by a single lesion, mostly located in the left lower lobe with possibly unclear boundaries. No enlargement of mediastinal lymph nodes and low computed tomography (CT) values were noted in majority of patients.

Methods

• In this retrospective study, the researcher observed the locations of lung lesions, imaging form and clinical symptoms, and recorded the surgical complications through comparing patients with PSP and lung cancer.

Results

• Overall, 187 PSP cases and 197 lung cancer cases were collected from December 2012 to February 2017.
• Findings demonstrated that occurrence of PSP was common in women (88.2%), often occurred in the left lower lobe (32.6%), and was associated with a lesion size of 10–20 mm (48.7%).
• Cough, sputum, chest pain were the presenting symptoms, and most patients had a single lesion, which could showed no clear boundary.
• Data reported that most PSP patients exhibited no enlargement of mediastinal lymph nodes, had no involvement of the blood vessels, and had low computed tomography (CT) values (low Hounsfield units).
• In men, lung cancers were more common (69.0%), with the lesions scattered throughout all lobes of the lung.
• As per results, cases with a tumor size >30 mm accounted for 76.2% of patients.
• Systemic symptoms were also present in lung cancer patients, and the tumors were found to have unclear boundaries.
• Additionally, it was noted that patients presented with enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes, high CT values, and heterogeneous internal tumor texture.