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The existence of a bronchial foreign body is an unusual cause of haemoptysis. We observed a sixty two year-old women who presented several medium-abundance haemoptysis. They were associated with a systematic alveolar-interstitial radiological picture of the ventral upper right lobe. A right upper lobectomy showed that an old bronchial foreign body (piece of bone) was responsible for the systematic intra-alveolar bleeding. Though most of the breathed foreign bodies are expressed into immediate symptoms, some of them remained undiagnosed and may be responsible for haemoptysis, infectious complications, atelectasis and for bronchiectasis. Their extraction through endoscopy or most often surgery is necessary for a proper recovery. In spite of histopathological differences between foreign bodies, broncholithiasis and lung tumor the diagnosis may be difficult clinically and on radiology.

We report a case of tracheal leishmaniasis with stenosis in a 52 year-old female originative from the Gard region (South of France). The unusual localization acknowledges for the difficulties met in setting the diagnosis which was established through cytological examination of bronchial brushing. Though rare, leishmaniasis infection must be suspected in all cases of mucosal lesions occurring in patients living in endemic areas.

Sarcoma of the common pulmonary artery are rare malignant tumors which can mimic pulmonary embolism. In the case presented here, the inaugural signs were particularly misleading: multiple pulmonary lacunae on computed tomography. The unusual aspect and asymmetric localizations at pulmonary angiography then suggested the doubtful nature of the embolism etiology. Magnetic resonance imaging findings suggested the diagnosis of sarcoma of the pulmonary artery. Certain diagnosis was obtained at pathology examination of the surgical specimen after thoracotomy. A malignant fibrous histiocytoma was identified. Curative resection was not possible and chemotherapy was performed. Unusual parenchymal lesions were then evidenced on the radiography. Better and better magnetic resonance imaging criteria are described in the literature and help distinguish between thromboembolism and sarcoma of the pulmonary artery. Follow-up of the clinical course is thus improved. It is nevertheless necessary to evaluate intravascular extension to determine whether curative surgery is possible.

Osteosarcoma is a tumour that is encountered in children and young adults but is exceptional in elderly people. Moreover, it is very rarely located in the chest. A case of costal osteosarcoma revealed by a pleural blood effusion is reported in a 66-year old male patient. Full surgical excision completed by parietal reconstruction was performed. The diagnosis of osteosarcoma was definitely confirmed at pathological examination. A few months later, a local recurrence associated with ipsilateral lung metastasis, was discovered and the patient was put on chemotherapy. The clinical, radiological and therapeutic aspects of this case are discussed.

A case of intralobar pulmonary sequestration revealed by hemoptysis is reported. A left lower lobectomy was performed. Anatomical investigations of the lobe showed a normal lung supplied by an aberrant artery arising from the aorta.

Twelve cases of apparently primary thoracic hemangiopericytoma are reported: 7 intrapulmonary and 5 extrapulmonary. These cases, taken together with 75 others already published, serve as a basis to describe the characteristics of thoracic hemangiopericytomas. Intrapulmonary forms raise the problem of a single peripheral X-ray lesion, often detected in a routine film, with no accompanying endoscopic abnormality. Extrapulmonary forms also take the form of a well defined tumor with diaphragmatic or mediastinal parietal connections. Up to the present, the diagnosis has always been made at thoracotomy. It is probable that a preoperative diagnosis will be possible in the future by transbronchial biopsy. Silver stains and the use of the electron microscope form the basis of histological diagnosis. However it is not possible to distinguish by histology between benign and malignant forms, nor between primary or metastatic hemangiopericytomas. It is for this reason that doubt will long persist as to the primary nature of the tumor and only prolonged survival of patients after excision confirms that the lesion was indeed primary. Treatment is essentially surgical. New high energy radiotherapy techniques and new possibilities in chemotherapy (using adriamycin) should improve the prognosis in those forms which run a malignant course. However the standard therapeutic strategy for these rare tumors has yet to be defined.

Three cases of transformation of small cell carcinomas into squamous cell cancer after chemotherapy are reported. A review of the literature shows that about 7% of small cell carcinomas are associated to different histological types of cancer before treatment. Such an association is found in about 25% of the cases after chemotherapy. Recent biochemical and ultrastructural approaches have led to new concepts concerning the histogenesis of lung cancer. The unicyst theory suggested by some authors could explain the therapy-induced maturation of undifferentiated small cell carcinoma.