Hidden synchronous tumor

Abstract

Synchronous primary lung carcinoma consists of separate neoplastic processes, histologically identical or different, but occurring in different segments, lobes, or lungs. It is a relatively rare condition, with the reported incidence ranging from 0.26 to 1.33%.1 We report the case of a 63-year-old female patient, with smoking habits and a strong familial history of cancer, who was first detected a suspicious lung nodule, consistent with a lung carcinoma. While staging that nodule, a synchronous tumor was surprisingly detected. Even though it is relatively rare, distinguishing synchronous tumors from intrapulmonary metastasis can be an extremely difficult task.