The n e w e ng l a n d j o u r na l of m e dic i n e

images in clinical medicine

Popcorn Calcifications in a Pulmonary

Chondroid Hamartoma

A B

A
22-year-old man was referred to us for evaluation of an asymp- Chang Min Park, M.D.
tomatic mass in the left upper lung
ICM that had been
AUTHOR Park detected on chest RETAKE radiog-
1st
Jin Mo Goo, M.D.
REG F FIGURE a&b 2nd
raphy (Panel A, arrow) performed during a physical screening before3rdthe
CASE TITLE Seoul National University Hospital
start of military service. He was a nonsmoker,
EMail
had no pulmonary symptoms, Revised and
Seoul 110-744, South Korea
Line 4-C
was otherwise well. Nonenhanced computedEnon tomography
ARTIST: mst (CT)
H/T
of theH/T
chest revealed
SIZE cmpark@radiol.snu.ac.kr
a well-defined mass, 3 cm in diameter,FILLin the left upper lobe, Combocontaining39p6 multiple
calcifications (Panel B, arrow). A magnified (wide-window)
AUTHOR, PLEASE image
NOTE: of the mass
Figure has been redrawn and type has been reset.
showed calcifications of a linear, nodular, irregular Please
shape, known
check as popcorn cal-
carefully.
cifications. The CT findings were highly suggestive of pulmonary chondroid hamar-
toma. Pathological examination of tissueJOB:
obtained
36012 by means of percutaneous
ISSUE: 3-19-09biopsy
revealed cartilage and spindle-cell mesenchymal stroma, confirming the diagnosis.
Two years later, the patient remains well, and the tumor is unchanged. Pulmonary
hamartoma is a benign lung tumor that should be considered when an incidental
solitary pulmonary nodule is identified. Popcorn calcifications within a well-circum-
scribed pulmonary nodule are highly suggestive of pulmonary chondroid hamartoma.
Copyright 2009 Massachusetts Medical Society.

n engl j med 360;12 nejm.org march 19, 2009 e17

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