9. Patient is a 70 year old male with chronic cough and 30 year history of tobacco abuse. Attempts of quitting have been unsuccessful and he still continues to smoke ½ a pack a day. Chest xrays shows a mass in the lower right lobe. He was taken to the operative room where a bronchoscopy with biopsy of the right lower lobe was performed. Pathology report shows small cell lung carcinoma.
Diagnosis:
Procedure:
Diagnosis: The patient has been diagnosed with small cell lung carcinoma.
Procedure: The patient underwent a bronchoscopy with a biopsy of the right lower lobe.
To arrive at the diagnosis of small cell lung carcinoma, several steps were taken:
1. Evaluation of symptoms: The patient presented with a chronic cough, which is a common symptom of lung disease. Additionally, the patient had a long history of tobacco abuse, which is a significant risk factor for developing lung cancer.
2. Imaging: A chest x-ray was performed and revealed a mass in the lower right lobe. This abnormal finding raised suspicion for lung cancer.
3. Bronchoscopy: To further evaluate the lung mass, the patient was taken to the operative room for a bronchoscopy. This procedure involves inserting a thin, flexible tube called a bronchoscope through the nose or mouth and into the airways of the lungs. This allows the doctor to visualize the lungs and collect samples for biopsy.
4. Biopsy: During the bronchoscopy, a biopsy was performed on the right lower lobe. This involves removing a small piece of tissue from the lung mass for examination under a microscope.
5. Pathology report: The biopsy specimen was sent to the pathology department, where it was analyzed by a pathologist. The pathology report confirmed the presence of small cell lung carcinoma, which is a type of lung cancer.
In summary, the patient's chronic cough and history of tobacco abuse led to further investigation, including imaging and a bronchoscopy with biopsy. The biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of small cell lung carcinoma.