High diagnostic performance of cell-block procedure in a case of typical lung carcinoid

Abstract

In young patients, bronchial carcinoid tumors (BCT) are rare, slow growing, malignant neuroendocrine tumors, which arise from Kulchitsky cells in tracheo-bronchial tree mucosa, covered by intact epithelium. Herein,  we report  a case of BCT occurred in a young 20-year-old female patient presenting cough, fever and shortness of breath. Although cytological smears were  suggestive for well differentiated lung tumor,  only the cell block procedure allowed to  define the diagnosis in the right way by the application of an immunohistochemical algorithm. The post-surgical histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of typical BCT with negative lymph nodes; no local recurrence was revealed in the 24 months follow-up after surgery.