Bronchial carcinoid with multiple aerogenous implanted foci.

A case of bronchial carcinoid with intrapulmonary dissemination was demonstrated. A right upper lobectomy was performed because of an abnormal shadow in the lung detected by an X-ray mass survey. A carcinoid tumor originated from the spur region of the right upper lobe bronchus. The tumor protruded into the bronchial lumen and also extensively expanded into the surrounding alveolar tissue. The tumor showed typical histological features of bronchial carcinoid with a mixed insular, trabecular, and glandular pattern. Multiple implanted foci of tumor cells were found in the periphery of the lobe. The implanted tumor cells replaced the alveolar epithelium without destruction of the alveolar structure, which suggests the possibility of aergenous spread of bronchial carcinoid. This is the first report on bronchial carcinoid with aerogenous spread.