CLINICAL VIGNETTES
199
www.journals.viamedica.pl
Address for correspondence: Prasanta Raghab Mohapatra, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India 751019; e-mail: prmohapatra@hotma-
il.com
DOI: 10.5603/ARM.2019.0032
Received: 25.04.2019
Copyright © 2019 PTChP
ISSN 2451–4934
Confict of interest: none declared
Cystic transformation of cannon ball metastases in response
to EGFR TKI
Satyajeet Sahoo, Prasanta Raghab Mohapatra, Saroj Kumar Das Majumdar, Mantyu Chhatria
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar, India
A 39-year-old never smoker male with a 3-month history of progressive dyspnea was found to have
a heterogeneously enhancing right lung mass with multiple, well circumscribed rounded lesions of varying
sizes, ranging from nodules to masses in both lungs, suggestive of cannon ball lesions [Figure 1 A–C]. Bron-
choscopic biopsy revealed adenocarcinoma of the lung diffusely positive to thyroid transcription factor 1
(TTF1) and napsin. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) scan of the abdomen and pelvis ruled
out the presence of any synchronous tumor elsewhere. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation
analysis showed the presence of exon 19 deletion within the tumor specimen. The patient was staged as advan-
ced disease and was hence started with 250 mg of Geftinib, an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) daily.
Four months later CT scan showed shrunken primary lesion with multiple cysts of variable sizes bilaterally
(Figure 1 D–F). Choriocarcinoma and renal cell carcinoma are the usual culprit of cannon ball metastases
in the lungs. Other rare causes include prostate cancer, endometrial malignancy, synovial sarcoma, hepato-
Figure 1. A–C: Axial CECT images (lung window) at different levels done before initiating EGFR TKI treatment showing heterogeneously
enhancing lesion measuring 52 × 51 mm in posterior segment of the right upper lobe (RUL) reaching up to the hilum, abruptly cutting off the
RUL posterior segmental bronchus along with multiple nodular lesions consistent with cannon ball metastases (arrows) diffusely scattered
without any lobar predilection. Few of these metastatic lesions have central cavitation (curved arrows). A small amount of pleural effusion is
also seen; D–F: Axial CECT images at corresponding levels obtained after 4 months of EGFR TKI therapy showing reduced RUL mass lesion
(25 × 12 mm). Although the majority of cannon ball lesions have disappeared completely, some have transformed into thin-walled cysts of
varying sizes (block arrows). Few areas are left with only ground glass nodules
A B C
D E F