Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is a rare salivary gland
tumor, accounting for 0.2% of all lung
tumors. The standard treatment for MEC of the primary bronchus is surgery, although intraluminal bronchoscopic treatment has recently become an option. A 68-year-old man presented with an asymptomatic bronchial
tumor in the right intermediate bronchus. The
tumor was resected using a high-frequency snare (HFS) during bronchoscopy, and the specimen was pathologically diagnosed as low-grade MEC. A residual lesion was detected in the resected area by autofluorescence imaging. The
tumor appeared to be localized within the subepithelial layer without
metastases, and
photodynamic therapy (
PDT) was performed as a local treatment. The patient had no recurrence for 18 months.
PDT is effective and safe for patients with centrally located early-stage
lung cancer, but there are few reports of its use for rare
tumors, such as MEC. In this case,
PDT allowed for local control and avoided surgery, including bronchoplasty, for MEC. Combined treatment of
tumor reduction by HFS and
PDT of the residual lesion may be an optimal treatment for MEC of the bronchus.