Pulmonary metastasis presenting as a ground glass opacity-like lesion with a thin-walled cavity: A case report

INTRODUCTION: Most of pulmonary metastases present as well-defined solid and round nodules. Here we report a case of a pulmonary metastasis presenting as a ground glass opacity (GGO)-like lesion with a thin-walled cavity and lymph node metastasis of tongue cancer. CASE PRESENTAION: A 22-year-old man was referred to our department for surgical diagnosis and treatment for a GGO-like pulmonary nodule with a thin-walled cavity in the right lower lobe. He had a history of surgical resection for tongue cancer. The size of the GGO-like lesion with a thin-walled cavity in the center gradually increased. A right lower lobectomy and hilar lymphadenectomy were performed. Postoperative pathology revealed the lesion as pulmonary metastasis and hilar lymph node metastasis of tongue cancer. DISCUSSION: Our case report of pulmonary metastasis of tongue cancer is rare from the viewpoint of pulmonary GGO-like lesions with a following thin-walled cavity and hilar lymph node metastasis. The positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) examination was useful to show right hilar lymph node metastasis. CONCLUSION: It is important to make a differential diagnosis of from the pulmonary nodule in case of a GGO-like lesion with a thin-walled cavity.