PRIMARY LUNG CHORIOCARCINOMA MASQUERADING AS A METASTATIC GESTATIONALNEOPLASM

Primary lung choriocarcinoma has rarely been reported. In females, pre vious pregnancies and other sources of trophoblastic tissue such as a nongestational gonadal choriocarcinoma must be excluded before the dia gnosis can be made. Here we present a young female patient initially d iagnosed as having a metastatic gestational neoplasm who was unrespons ive to standard single and multiagent chemotherapy. A total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oopherectomy failed to reveal the source of production of beta HCG. At the time of her thoracotomy and l obectomy, performed for a lung nodule, she was found to have a primary lung choriocarcinoma. The patient received no further chemotherapy an d has remained disease free for more than 3 years. This is the first r ecorded case of a lung choriocarcinoma that has been successfully trea ted where the patient has remained free of disease for more than 1 yea r. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.