Giant cell carcinoma of the lung exhibiting a large, well-circumscribed photon deficiency in ventilation/perfusion scintigrams.

Giant cell carcinoma is a specific clinicopathological entity because of its fulminating clinical behavior and peripheral location in the lung. We present two patients with rapidly fatal giant cell carcinoma; each 99mTcMAA and/or 133Xe ventilation scintigrams showed a large, discrete, photon-deficient area in the lung. This unique scintigraphic finding may result from the peripheral location and rapid grawth of the giant cell tumor. Since giant cell carcinoma is a specific clinicopathological entity and of definite significance in establishing the prognosis of patients with lung cancer, 99mTcMAA and/or 133Xe scintigraphic findings may be useful in revealing such a tumor.