Case presentation: community acquired pneumonia or βhcg - Producing lung tumor

Abstract

Paraneoplastic syndromes are common complications of lung cancer and may be the manifestation of the disease or its recurrence. β- human chorionic gonadotropin (βhCG) is commonly produced by germ cell tumors and seldom produced by other tumors. We describe the case of a 28-year old woman who was admitted with diagnosis of community acquired pneumonia. She developed signs suggestive of βhCG-producing lung tumor with metastasis to the brain and succumbed to the illness before she could be referred for further evaluations and management.

Key Words: Community acquired pneumonia, βhCG-producing lung tumor, Paraneoplastic Syndrome, Oculomotor Nerve Palsy.