A CASE OF BRONCHIOLOALVEOLAR CELL CARCINOMA PRESENTING AS CHRONIC NON RESOLVING CONSOLIDATION

Bronchioloalveolar cell carcinomas are heterogenous group of peripheral lung tumours that arises from any epithelial cell within or distal to terminal bronchioles. They constitute 2-5 percentage of all lung cancers and show a characteristic nondestructive lepidic growth. It can present as a solitary pulmonary nodule, unifocal,multifocal consolidation, diffuse or multicentric form. We report a case of bronchioloalveolar cell carcinoma that presented with bilateral consolidation. This case can be considered as an eye opener ,as the x-ray diagnosis of tuberculosis in a patient who had anti tuberculous treatment twice in a private set up has finally turned out to be bronchioloalveolar cell carcinoma presenting bilaterally . Bronchioloalveolar cell carcinoma should be considered as a possibility in all cases of chronic non resolving consolidation.