Pulmonary adenocarcinomas associated with rheumatoid nodules: A case report and review of the literature

Necrobiotic lung nodules and primary lung carcinoma both occur with some frequency in patients with rheumatoid arthritis; however, few reports exist of a primary lung carcinoma occurring within a rheumatoid nodule. We report a case of a 62-year-old woman with multiple pulmonary nodules discovered incidentally by computed tomography. Although 2 of the lesions were composed solely of necrotizing granulomas, 2 additional lesions contained malignant glands at the periphery of necrobiotic nodules. Immunohistochemical staining supported the diagnosis of both tumors as primary lung carcinomas. Our literature search revealed only 2 other reported cases of adenocarcinoma occurring in association with a rheumatoid nodule; these cases, as well as the association between rheumatoid disease and malignancy, are briefly reviewed.