The large tumor, located in Mrs. Mo's left upper lung lobe, had increased in size over time. Although a transthoracic biopsy was performed, it could not definitively confirm the tumor's nature or rule out malignancy. Following a consultation, doctors at Tam Anh General Hospital Hanoi decided that surgical removal of the lung lobe was necessary.

The surgical team, led by Dr. Do Trung Dung from the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, performed a minimally invasive thoracoscopic lobectomy to resect the left upper lung lobe and remove the tumor. This technique minimizes pain, reduces blood loss, and shortens recovery time for the patient.

The surgical team performing minimally invasive thoracoscopic surgery on the patient. Photo: Tam Anh General Hospital

The post-surgical tissue sample was sent for pathological examination, which confirmed the tumor was an inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT), a benign lesion. Hilar and intrapulmonary lymph nodes showed only chronic inflammation, with no malignant cells detected.

IMT typically appears in adolescents and young adults. In adults, such as Mrs. Mo, this type of tumor is rare, accounting for less than 1% of all lung tumors, according to research on the U.S. National Library of Medicine (Pubmed).

Dr. Dung explained that surgery is considered the standard treatment for IMTs. This approach allows for a sufficiently large tissue sample to definitively diagnose the tumor's nature and completely removes the lesion, reducing the risk of recurrence.

The doctor examining the patient and assessing her good recovery. Photo: Tam Anh General Hospital

Mrs. Mo recovered quickly, with her incision healing well. She received antibiotics, pain relief, and respiratory exercises to aid lung recovery, and was discharged after one week. While the complete removal of the tumor suggests a low recurrence risk, Dr. Dung advised Mrs. Mo to undergo regular follow-ups due to the unstable biological characteristics of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors.

Ly Nguyen