Metastatic prostatic adenocarcinoma - Diagnosed by bronchoalveolar lavage and tumour marker determination

Abstract

We report a patient who presented with a diffuse interstitial lung disease in whom clinical and radiologic investigation led to the suspicion of lymphangitis carcinomatosa. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed and revealed the presence of prostatic specific antigen (PSA) positive cells. A prostatic needle aspiration confirmed the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma. This case demonstrates the value of tumour marker determination in BAL.