Prevalence of endobronchial metastases in lung cancer in Scotland

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Endobronchial metastases are reported in patients suffering from lung cancer. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of this lesion in patients in Scotland. DESIGN AND SETTINGS: Lung cancer patients autopsied personally at the Western Infirmary, Glasgow, Scotland, were examined regarding the primary lesion and its secondaries with special reference to the submucosa of the bronchus. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 100 patients had full records of their illness and the autopsy findings. RESULTS: Four patients had lobectomy and were excluded from the series. Of the remaining 96 patients, 53 showed no endobronchial metastases, 26 exhibited bronchial sheathing, 10 manifested submucosal metastases, and the remaining 7 had both sheathing and submucosal metastases. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that Scottish patients dying with lung cancer displayed endobronchial metastases at autopsy. This lesion and its benign counterparts are increasingly undergoing therapeutic management.