Identification of Paragonimus Westermani in Pulmonary Adenosquamous Carcinoma

Abstract

A 63-year-old Chinese man complained of a throbbing headache and dizziness for one month. A solitary pulmonary tumor with a single brain metastasis was found. Craniotomy and right upper lobectomy of the lung were performed separately to remove the tumors totally. Pathological studies confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary adenosquamous carcinoma with brain metastasis. Interestingly, many eggs of Paragonimus westermani were found over the cancerous part of the lung. The association of pulmonary adenosquamous carcinoma with previous paragonimiasis has not been reported previously. The relationship between parasite infestation and subsequent oncogenesis deserves further investigation.