Bronchoalveolar Carcinoma

A 52-year-old woman (a nonsmoker) was hospitalized after experiencing a low-grade fever and dyspnea for a month. No abnormalities were noted on physical examination, but the chest film showed multiple nodules, both well- and ill-defined. Lung biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of bronchoalveolar carcinoma.

This neoplasm is considered a subtype of adenocarcinoma that arises from the terminal bronchioles and alveoli. It is seen predominantly in young women and is initially asymptomatic. The lesions are usually an incidental finding on a screening roentgenogram. Some patients have a history of cough, chest pain, increased dyspnea, low-grade fever, malaise, and weight loss.