Mucoepidermoid bronchial tumors: a review of 34 operated cases

Objective: Pulmonary mucoepidermoid tumors are commonly included with adeno id cystic carcinoma and carcinoid tumors under the misleading rubric 'bronc hial adenomas'. These neoplasms are extremely rare and little is known abou t their oncologic behaviour. They are considered to be of high, or low mali gnancy. Methods: During a 16-year-period 34 consecutive patients (24 male a nd 10 female with an average age of 53 years) underwent surgery for pulmona ry mucoepidermoids in our clinic (0.5% of all resected lung tumors). Fourte en patients were complaint free, in the others obstructive symptoms dominat ed. In 23 patients the tumors were located in the upper lobes. In 24 cases lobectomy, in four instances limited resection and in six cases pneumonecto my were performed without hospital mortality. Results: Twenty-nine tumors p roved to be high grade and five low grade malignancy by histology. In the l atest group the 5-year-survival amounted to 80% (all of these tumors were o bserved in stage T1-2 N0), on the other hand, however, that rate accounted only 31% at high grade malignant mucoepidermoids. There was no 5-year-survi vor among patients having N2-disease (n = 5). Conclusion: Mucoepidermoid tu mors have to be treated by radical surgery with lymph node sampling and dis section. Patients with low grade rumors can be expected to be cured followi ng complete resection. on the other hand, however, in cases of high grade m alignant neoplasms surgery results in significantly worse prognosis. Carefu l histological typing plays a key role in prediction of late results. (C) 2 000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.