Pulmonary blastoma: A case report and brief review of the literature of tumor-induced hypoglycemia

Abstract

Background: Tumor induced hypoglycemia (TIH) is a rare clinical entity that can be caused by different mechanisms such as secretion of various substances, autoimmune disorders, massive tumoral infiltration of liver, and pituitary or adrenal glands destruction by tumors. Furthermore, any type of neoplasms can cause TIH. Case presentation: The patient presented with a case of classic biphasic pulmonary blastoma (CBPB) with hypoglycemia. Chest CT scan showed 2 huge masses in the right hemi-thorax and multiple smaller masses located in the left hemi-thorax. The patient underwent surgery, and was referred to an oncologist for adjuvant therapy. Conclusion: CBPB is a rare primary lung tumor with poor prognosis. They are classically large, symptomatic tumors with lymph node metastasis. Surgical resection at early stages has been more effective than other treatments; however, there is no standard treatment in unresectable cases. Adjuvant treatments have been temporarily effective.