Multiple pulmonary scar carcinomas in a patient with Hodgkin's disease: report of a case and review of the literature

A case of multiple pulmonary scar carcinomas arising in a 53-year-old woman with Hodgkin's disease is reported. Review of the literature reveals that scar carcinoma is generally thought to arise in areas of bronchiolar epithelial proliferation occurring in association with pre-existing lung scars. However, we and others have emphasized that, given the usual gross and histologic picture of scar carcinoma, it is impossible to state with certainty whether the carcinoma arose in response to the scar tissue, or the scar tissue formed consequent to the occurrence of repeated small foci of tumor necrosis. The association of Hodgkin's disease and multiple malignancies is also discussed.