Diagnostic strategy for cancer of unknown primary site

Authors

  • Ana Paiva Nunes Interna do Internato de Medicina Interna, Serviço de Medicina 2 e de Anatomia Patológica do Hospital Pulido Valente
  • Teresa Fonseca Assistente Hospitalar de Medicina Interna, Serviço de Medicina 2 e de Anatomia Patológica do Hospital Pulido Valente
  • Isabel Lourenço Assistente Hospitalar de Medicina Interna, Serviço de Medicina 2 e de Anatomia Patológica do Hospital Pulido Valente
  • J. Gorjão Clara Director do Serviço de Medicina II, Serviço de Medicina 2 e de Anatomia Patológica do Hospital Pulido Valente

Keywords:

Occult carcinoma, osseous metastatic disease, Cyfra 21, pancreatic tumoral triplet

Abstract

Occult carcinoma is a common diagnostic problem in Internal
Medicine Departments. Its correct diagnostic strategy is polemic,
both among internists and other specialities, even with the availability of the most recent complementary diagnostic methods.
It usually causes great difficulties for the doctor and extreme
suffering for the patient, making it essential that the diagnosis takes the least time possible.
We report the case of a 63-years-old male patient, former
smoker, who had diffuse osseous metastatic disease and who’s and who’s
exhaustive clinical and imagiologic examination revealed inconclusive. The diagnosis of lung carcinoma was finally possible with
the support of the pathology laboratory.
We discuss the difficulty of the diagnosis and therapeutic
strategy in patients with occult carcinoma, which is related both
to the peculiarities of each patient, to the variability of the presentations and to difficulties in interpreting the complementary
diagnostic methods. We make a review of the most appropriate
diagnostic strategy.

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Additional Files

Published

2004-06-30

How to Cite

1.
Paiva Nunes A, Fonseca T, Lourenço I, Gorjão Clara J. Diagnostic strategy for cancer of unknown primary site. RPMI [Internet]. 2004 Jun. 30 [cited 2024 Nov. 21];12(2):82-8. Available from: https://revista.spmi.pt/index.php/rpmi/article/view/1683

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 2 (2005): Abril/ Junho

Section

Case Reports

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