Héctor Nuñez-Paucar, Servicio de Neumología Pediátrica, Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño Breña, Lima; Unidad de Investigación para la Generación y Síntesis de Evidencias en Salud, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola, Lima; Perú
Noé Atamari-Anahui, ervicio de Neumología Pediátrica, Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño Breña, Lima; Unidad de Investigación para la Generación y Síntesis de Evidencias en Salud, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola, Lima; Perú
Carla Cruzado-Villanueva, Servicio de Anatomía Patológica, Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño, San Borja, Perú
Víctor Gómez-Ponce, Servicio de Cirugía de Tórax y Cardiovascular, Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño, San Borja, Lima, Perú
Background: Pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma is a rare neoplasm in children. Nonspecific symptoms such as hemoptysis may delay diagnosis because they are confused with other respiratory diseases. Clinical case: A 9-year-old male patient presented recurrent episodes of cough and hemoptysis. The patient had two similar episodes associated with wheezing in previous months and was treated as an asthma attack. Radiological studies and bronchoscopy reported a lung mass obstructing the left main bronchus, causing atelectasis and involvement of the left lung. Transthoracic biopsy was positive for a salivary gland tumor. Treatment was surgical (left pneumonectomy). Histopathological and immunohistochemical studies reported low-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma. He did not receive chemotherapy. After two years of follow-up, the patient was asymptomatic, and we did not see any recurrence. Conclusions: Pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma is rare in children. Hemoptysis and signs of bronchial obstruction may mimic other respiratory diseases, causing a delay in diagnosis. Treatment is surgical, with a good prognosis during follow-up.
Keywords: Carcinoma. Mucoepidermoid. Lung neoplasms. Pneumonectomy. Child.