# Incidentally Discovered Pulmonary Hamartoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

**Authors:** Mahmoud Aberkane, Nassira Karich, Chaimae Daoudi, Anass Haloui, Amal Bennani

PMC · DOI: 10.7759/cureus.104563 · Cureus · 2026-03-02

## TL;DR

This case report describes a rare lung tumor called pulmonary hamartoma found in a 62-year-old man during a CT scan for multiple myeloma.

## Contribution

The paper provides a detailed clinical, radiological, and histopathological analysis of a pulmonary hamartoma case with immunohistochemical findings.

## Key findings

- The tumor had four distinct histological components: cartilage, adipose tissue, smooth muscle, and fibromyxoid tissue.
- Immunohistochemical staining showed positivity for smooth muscle actin and desmin in the smooth muscle cells.
- The case highlights the importance of differential diagnosis for peripheral lung nodules.

## Abstract

Pulmonary hamartoma is a rare benign tumor of the lung. It predominantly affects older males and is frequently peripherally located. On chest radiography, it classically appears as a “coin lesion” exhibiting characteristic popcorn-like calcifications.

We report the case of a 62-year-old male patient, a former smoker, being treated for multiple myeloma. A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a solid, bilobed pulmonary nodule in the lingula measuring 8 mm in the long axis, for which he underwent surgical resection. Macroscopically, the tumor appeared whitish, multilobulated, well-defined, and firm in consistency. Histologically, the lesion is composed of four components: a predominant cartilaginous component with a lobulated architecture, made up of regular chondrocytes; an adipose component, made up of mature adipocytes; a muscular component made up of smooth, non-atypical muscle fibers; and, focally, a fibromyxoid component, associated with an entrapped ciliated respiratory epithelium. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated positivity for smooth muscle actin and desmin in the smooth muscle cells.

Through this case, we discuss the clinical, radiological, histopathological, molecular, and therapeutic aspects of pulmonary hamartoma, as well as the main differential diagnosis, based on data from the literature.

## Linked entities

- **Proteins:** LOC101066771 (desmin-like)
- **Diseases:** multiple myeloma (MONDO:0009693), pulmonary hamartoma (MONDO:0021540)

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** DES (desmin) [NCBI Gene 1674] {aka CDCD3, CSM1, CSM2, LGMD1D, LGMD1E, LGMD2R}
- **Diseases:** tumor (MESH:D009369), Pulmonary Hamartoma (MESH:D006222), benign tumor of the lung (MESH:D008175), multiple myeloma (MESH:D009101), smoker (MESH:C000719328)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Full text

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## Figures

3 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC13043216/full.md

## References

20 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC13043216/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC13043216