Sleeve pneumonectomy and carinal resection for management of primary adenoid cystic tumor of the lung with carinal extension: Report of two cases

Adenoid cystic carcinoma is a rare tumor of low frequency, low grade malignancy and slow growth originating from the major and minor salivary glands. Its primary pulmonary presentation is very rare, it can manifest with central airway obstruction and extensive lung involvement. Although it is slow growing, it has a tendency to local recurrence and late hematogenous metastases. The cornerstone of management consists in the complete resection of the tumor. Radiotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy have been used in a limited number of patients with unsatisfactory results. Therefore, clinical judgment is of vital importance for early diagnosis and adequate selection of patients for surgical management. We present two cases of patients with primary pulmonary adenoid cystic tumor with invasion of the carina treated with sleeve pneumonectomy and carinal resection with adequate response to the intervention.