A giant squamous cell papilloma with high fluorodeoxyglucose uptake mimicking squamous cell lung cancer: A case report.

Authors

Ryohei Kamada, Hidenori Mizugaki, Shohei Mizobuchi, Ken Kuwahara, Noriyuki Yamada, Yasushi Mizukami, Hajime Asahina, Hirofumi Adachi, Hiroshi Yokouchi, Yoshihiro Matsuno, Satoshi Oizumi

Published in

Respiratory medicine case reports. Volume 63. Pages 102468. Epub Jul 07, 2026.

Abstract

Bronchial papillomas have a median diameter of 15 mm at diagnosis and are classified as benign tumors; however, they may occasionally demonstrate increased fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake, requiring differentiation from malignant tumors. A 64-year-old man was referred to our hospital after chest computed tomography (CT) performed to evaluate a cough during a routine workplace health checkup revealed a 60-mm mass in segment 6 (S⁶) of the right lower lobe. The serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen, cytokeratin 19 fragment, and squamous cell carcinoma antigen were elevated. FDG positron emission tomography/CT demonstrated intense FDG uptake in the right S⁶ mass, with a maximum standardized uptake value of 23.21. Bronchoscopy revealed a tumor protruding into the right B⁶ bronchus. Direct biopsy of the endobronchial lesion revealed a papilloma-like lesion composed of stratified mature squamous epithelium. Although no definite malignant features were identified, the possibility of secondary hyperplastic/dysplastic changes associated with neighboring malignancies, such as squamous cell carcinoma, could not be completely excluded. To evaluate the lesion, a CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy was performed, which revealed similar histological findings without evidence of malignancy. As malignancy could not be definitively excluded, diagnostic and therapeutic surgery, consisting of uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic right lower lobectomy with bronchoplasty and ND2a-1 lymph node dissection, was performed. Histopathological examination revealed a squamous cell papilloma measuring approximately 46 mm in diameter, with no evidence of malignancy. This squamous cell papilloma was larger and demonstrated higher FDG uptake, compared with previous cases.

PMID:
42471906
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 19 Jul 2026.

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