Intrapulmonary lymph nodes enlarged after lobectomy for lung cancer

A 62-year-old man, who had had a left upper lobectomy for mucoepidermoid lu ng carcinoma, was admitted again 3 months later because of enlargement of f our small nodules in the left lower lobe. A computed tomography-guided need le aspiration biopsy obtained insufficient material for diagnosis, and beca use pulmonary metastases were suspected, two of the four tumors were extirp ated. Intraoperative frozen section found the nodules to be intrapulmonary lymph nodes. Intrapulmonary lymph nodes should be included in the different ial diagnosis of coin lesions in the peripheral lung field. (C) 2001 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.