Pulmonary endodermal tumor resembling fetal lung: report of a case in a 14-year-old girl.

The research article reports a case of a 14-year-old girl with a rare pulmonary tumor, “pulmonary endodermal tumor resembling fetal lung” (PET), sharing its clinical, histologic features, and the treatment followed.

Case Summary

• The report revolves around a rare tumor case found in the lungs of a 14-year-old girl. The tumor in question is known as “pulmonary endodermal tumor resembling fetal lung” or PET. This tumor is rarely found and most cases of it have been reported in adults.

Description of the Tumor

• The tumor is made up of glycogen-rich columnar cells that make up complex glands. These glands further have focal festooning and mitotic activity.
• The tumor also contains solid “morules”, which are clusters of cells having eosinophilic cytoplasm and focal nuclear clearing.
• Signs of patchy tumor necrosis and a bland stroma were also noted, which refers to the death of tumor cells and the non-reactive or least altered tissue within the tumor respectively.

Immunoreactivity and Ultrastructural Features

• The glandular cells of the tumor showed immunoreactivity for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, and 12E7. In simpler terms, these cells reacted to the mentioned antigens, indicating the existence of these antigens in the tumor cells.
• Similarly, morular cells exhibited immunoreactivity for human chorionic gondatropin (HCG), alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, and 12E7.
• Upon detailed examination, the ultrastructural features of the tumor were found to be similar to those of an epithelial tumor.

Comparison with Related Entities

• This tumor has connections with entities named “pulmonary blastoma lacking sarcomatous elements” and “adenocarcinoma of fetal lung type.”

Treatment Outcome

• The patient underwent local resection, which is the surgical removal of a portion of a tissue, organ, or structure, as the sole treatment for the tumor.
• The treatment was successful as the patient remained well without any signs of tumor recurrence or metastasis (spread of cancer) for 28 months following treatment.