Giant Pulmonary Chondroid Hamartoma in Welder’s Lung: A Unique Case Report

Abstract

Pulmonary Hamartomas are benign lung tumors, containing cartilage, connective tissue, fat and usually appear as peripheral lesions. They are 2-4 cm in size, frequently asymptomatic, comprising of 5–8% of all solitary pulmonary nodules. The peak incidence occurs in 40-70 years of age with a male preponderance. We describe a unique case of centrally located, giant chondroid hamartoma, in the background of pulmonary hemosiderosis. Patient presented with cough, shortness of breath and left sided chest pain, masquerading as pleural effusion, lung cancer and left sided chest pain mimicking myocardial disease. Chest x-ray raised the suspicion of pleural effusion but ultrasound and CT-scan indicated a benign calcified central mass. A presumptive diagnosis of cartilage-containing benign mass was made on ultrasound-guided percutaneous biopsy, while surgical resection followed by histopathology revealed a chondroid hamartoma. No recurrence was noted on follow-up. Chondroid hamartoma can be large, symptomatic and requires modern modalities for diagnosis while its association with pulmonary hemosiderosis, still requires to be investigated.