Milan Popovic; Dragana Tegeltija; Aleksandra Popovic; Svetlana Kasikovic Lecic & Aleksandra Lovrenski

Neuroendocrine lung tumours are a group of different tumours that have similar morphological, immunohistochemical and molecular characteristics, and represents 1-2 % of all malignant lung tumours. Tumorlet carcinoids represent the nodular proliferation of hyperplastic neuroendocrine cells that is smaller than 5 mm in size. In this study, we reported the unusual finding of tumour carcinoid and endobronchial hamartoma in the same bronchus. A 49-year-old male patient with symptoms of prolonged severe cough and fever, and was treated for pneumonia. Since he did not adequately respond to antibiotic therapy lung CT scan was performed which showed middle lobe bronchus obstruction. Bronchoscopy revealed a lobulated whitish tumour which was biopsied and histopathological diagnosis was hamartoma. Tumour could not be completely removed during bronchoscopy, it was decided to surgically remove it. On serial section, during gross examination in the same bronchus, an oval yellowish area with a diameter of 3 mm was found along the bronchial wall. According to gross and histomorphological characteristics and immunophenotype of tumour cells, the diagno- sis of tumour carcinoid was set. Diagnosis of carcinoids of the tumorlet type is usually an accidental finding and it can be seen on CT in the form of subcentimeter, single or multiple, nodular changes. Considering that the clinical picture is nonspecific, they should always be kept in mind as a possible differential diagnosis.

KEY WORDS: Carcinoid tumorlet; Bronchus; Pulmonary hamartoma.

POPOVIC, M.; TEGELTIJA, D.; POPOVIC, A.; KASˇIKOVIC LECIC, S. & LOVRENSKI, A. An unusual finding of tumorlet carcinoid and endobronchial hamartoma in the lobar bronchus. Int. J. Morphol., 40(4):990-994, 2022.