Primary pleural squamous cell carcinoma accompanied by a big pulmonary bulla in a 68-year-old man: a case report and literature review

Abstract Background: Primary pleural squamous cell carcinoma is extremely rare. Its incidence is not described in the literature, and the cause of this disease is unclear due to its rarity. Case presentation: We present the rare case of primary pleural squamous cell carcinoma in a 68-year-old man with a big pulmonary bulla who undergone en bloc complete resection of both lesions. Two months after surgery, the patient received radiation therapy over the operative field to a total dose of 50Gy. More than a year after completion of treatment, the patient is well and in complete remission. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of primary pleural squamous cell carcinoma with a big pulmonary bulla. Complete surgical resection combined with radiation therapy was proposed for therapeutic purposes. Toinvestigate long-term prognosis of this disease, further more cases are needed.