A Case of Undetermined Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma With Airway Stenosis Treated With Palliative X-Ray Radiotherapy Leading to Significant Improvement in Patient's General Condition

Nobuko Utsumi; Masafumi Inoue; Kosei Miura

doi:10.7759/cureus.36743

A Case of Undetermined Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma With Airway Stenosis Treated With Palliative X-Ray Radiotherapy Leading to Significant Improvement in Patient's General Condition

Cureus. 2023 Mar 27;15(3):e36743. doi: 10.7759/cureus.36743. eCollection 2023 Mar.

Authors

Nobuko Utsumi¹, Masafumi Inoue², Kosei Miura¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiation Therapy, JCHO (Japan Community Health Care Organization) Tokyo Shinjuku Medical Center, Tokyo, JPN.
² Department of Diagnostic Pathology, JCHO (Japan Community Health Care Organization) Tokyo Shinjuku Medical Center, Tokyo, JPN.

Abstract

Primary adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the upper anterior mediastinum is rarely encountered in clinical practice, and no standard treatment has been established. We performed palliative radiotherapy to improve airway narrowing in a patient with primary ACC of the mediastinum who presented with respiratory distress as their main complaint. As a result of radiotherapy, the ACC was reduced in size, the narrowed airway was opened due to compression by the ACC, and the patient's general condition improved. We present the results of this case with a review of the relevant literature.

Keywords: adenoid cystic carcinoma; airway stenosis; mediastinum; radiotherapy; respiratory distress.

Publication types

Case Reports