Pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma in children: a rare diagnosis not to be overlooked – case report

Pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma (PMEC) in children is a rare entity. The diagnosis is often unrecognized, often treated as pneumonia, a more frequent diagnosis at this age. CASE PRESENTATION: The authors report in this article, the case of a 12-year-old child with a clinical history of chronic cough evolving for 6 months with recurrent episodes of pneumonia. The presence of a foreign body was suggested on the thoracic computed tomography (CT). PMEC was histopathologically determined on biopsy. Fluorine-(18)-fluorodesoxyglucose positron emission tomography ((18) F-FDG PET)/CT was performed as part of the extension work-up prior to surgical management. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Preoperative imaging with (18)F-FDG PET/CT seems to be a valuable tool for predicting tumor grade, nodal stage, and postsurgical prognosis in mucoepidermoid carcinoma. PMEC patients with high (18)F-FDG PET/CT uptake may need extensive mediastinal lymph node dissection and adjuvant therapy. CONCLUSION: PMEC has different presentations depending on the degree of tumor differentiation on PET/CT whose input in the management of these rare cancers requires further studies.