Patients with lung cancer may present with respiratory and systemic symptoms. However,
cutaneous metastases from primary lung cancer is a rare phenomenon, especially in women,
that signifies a poor prognosis. This paper reported a case regarding a 71-year-old woman
who was first presented with a cutaneous nodule over the year. Her condition was further
progressed to multiple lesions on the back and abdomen, dyspnoea, haemoptysis and weight
loss. The results of the skin lesion biopsy exhibited metastatic lung adenocarcinoma with
positive immunohistochemistry for thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF1) and cytokeratin 7 (CK7). Computed tomography (CT) scan was conducted, and it revealed a left upper lobe lung
mass. The patient was subsequently scheduled for additional management, but she had
succumbed to complications of pulmonary embolism before the necessary interventions could
be provided. In this particular case presentation, the biopsy of cutaneous lesions obtained had
revealed an undiagnosed primary malignancy.
Overexpression of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) is frequently associated with germ cell tumours, especially choriocarcinoma. Ectopic secretion of β-hCG by non-small cell lung cancer is exceptional. We present an exceedingly rare case of pulmonary adenocarcinoma that secretes β-hCG. Our patient is a 62-year-old postmenopausal woman, a nonsmoker, who presented with a six-month history of progressive dyspnoea, associated with decreased appetite and significant weight loss. Her serum β-hCG was very high (11211.9 mIU/ml), which prompted investigations to exclude germ cell tumour. Radiological imaging revealed a 10-cm right lung mass with adrenal metastasis. No other focal lesions were detected. Microscopy of the lung biopsy specimen showed replacement of normal lung tissue by sheets of malignant cells, forming vague glands in some areas. Immunohistochemically, the malignant cells showed focal immunopositivity for thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF-1), napsin A, cytokeratin 7 (CK7) and β-hCG. A diagnosis of β-hCG-secreting pulmonary poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma was rendered. Serum β-hCG level decreased significantly to 168.6 mIU/ml after the first cycle of chemotherapy. In conclusion, β-hCG expression in lung cancer should be recognised to facilitate prompt diagnosis and initiation of appropriate intervention.