Primary endo-bronchial muco-epidermoid carcinoma in a 22-year-old female - A case report

Sep 24, 2026

Muco-epidermoid carcinomas are typically salivary gland tumors that rarely originate in the respiratory tract. This case report documents a young woman from Karachi, Pakistan, presenting with respiratory symptoms and diagnosed with a low-grade, localized endo-bronchial muco-epidermoid carcinoma of the lung. The patient underwent successful surgical resection and was advised for evaluation for adjuvant radiotherapy. The discussion contrasts better outcomes of localized low-grade disease with the poorer prognosis of high-grade variants.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Case presentation

Clinical discussion

Conclusion

International Journal of Surgery Case Reports 109 (2023) 108562 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect International Journal of Surgery Case Reports journal [homepage:](homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ijscr)[ www.elsevier.com/locate/ijscr](homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ijscr) | Case report
Primary endo-bronchial muco-epidermoid carcinoma in a 22-year-old female: A case report
Mirza Rameez Samara, *, Aneeqa Ejazb, Nida-E-Zehraa, Yasmin Abdul Rashida
a Department of Medical Oncology, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Pakistan b Department of Medicine, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Pakistan | | | | --- | --- | --- | | A R T I C L E I N F O | | A B S T R A C T | | Keywords:
Muco-epidermoid carcinomas Low grade
Localized
Endo-bronchial Surgical resection Radiotherapy | | Introduction: Muco-epidermoid carcinomas are primarily the subtypes of salivary gland tumors that can rarely originate within the respiratory tract. Our case highlights the occurrence of an unusual, localized, endo-bronchial muco-epidermoid cancer. We aim to strengthen the evidence of occurrence of this distinct variety of lung cancer in our country as little is known about this rare subclass of lung cancer.
Case presentation: We report a case of a 22-year-old female patient, belonging to Karachi, Pakistan, who presented with respiratory symptoms and upon work-up, was diagnosed with a low-grade, localized muco-epidermoid carcinoma of the lung. She underwent surgical resection successfully and was advised to get evaluated for adjuvant radiotherapy.
Clinical discussion: Localized low-grade MEC respond well to surgical resection in contrast to high-grade MEC which is associated with poor prognosis thus requiring adjuvant radiotherapy to improve survival outcomes. Conclusion: Lung cancers can be unusually of muco-epidermoid origin. It has been uncommonly found in the world including Pakistan. Special attention with validated data is therefore needed, for developing guidelines for the optimal management of such neoplasms. | 1. Introduction Muco-epidermoid carcinomas (MEC) of the lung belong to a unique group of primary salivary gland-type tumors (PSGT), that originate from the glandular tissue in sub-mucosa of the tracheo-bronchial tree [1]. They make up to less than 1 % of all lung cancer cases worldwide with a preponderance towards the 3rd or 4th decade of life [2]. There is no gender predisposition. Clinical picture is diverse and can vary from asymptomatic disease to mild symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath or fatigability to severe symptoms such as hemoptysis, hoarseness of voice or wheezes due to complete or partial obstruction of the airway by primary mass [3]. They are classified as either low grade or high grade on the basis of histological features. Low-grade MEC present with disease that is usually limited to trachea or bronchus in contrast to high-grade, which in general are either unresectable at presentation or have distant metastasis. Pulmonary MEC are rare neoplasms that warrant special discussion as little is known about these pathologic variants of lung cancer. To date, only a handful number of cases have been brought to light, mostly via case reports and few case series. Here, we report a case of localized pulmonary muco-epidermoid carcinoma in a young female, which is found infrequently and has been rarely reported in our country. The work has been reported in line with the SCARE criteria [4]. 2. Case presentation A 22 years old female, with no significant medical or surgical history and resident of Karachi, Pakistan, presented to our institution in May 2022 with intermittent episodes of hemoptysis for the past 2 years, which were usually aggravated during the winter seasons. She also had associated productive cough with minute quantity of white to greenish sputum. There was no history of respiratory distress or constitutional symptoms such as weight loss or fever etc. She denied

FAQs

What is the main clinical problem described in this case report?

The report describes a primary endo-bronchial muco-epidermoid carcinoma in a 22-year-old female, diagnosed as low-grade and localized in the lung.

How was the diagnosis established?

Imaging identified an endo-bronchial lesion, bronchoscopy was performed, and biopsy confirmed mucoepidermoid carcinoma; bronchial washing was negative for atypical cells.

What treatment approach was used, and why?

The patient received surgical resection successfully and was advised for evaluation of adjuvant radiotherapy. The discussion notes that low-grade localized MEC generally respond well to surgery, unlike high-grade disease.

Sep 24, 2026

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