A 60-year-old male presents to the clinic with a six-month history of persistent pain in his right shoulder, arm, and hand. He also reports weakness in his hand and occasional tingling in his fingers. On physical examination, there is muscle wasting in the right hand and decreased grip strength. Additionally, he has ptosis, miosis, and anhidrosis on the right side of his face. A chest X-ray reveals a mass at the apex of the right lung. A CT scan confirms the presence of a Pancoast tumor.
The tumor is most likely to be located at the level of which vertebra?
ANSWER: A. First thoracic vertebra.
The patient's symptoms, including pain in the shoulder, arm, and hand, weakness in the hand, muscle wasting, and Horner syndrome (ptosis, miosis, anhidrosis), along with the finding of a mass at the apex of the lung, strongly suggest a Pancoast tumor. A Pancoast tumor is a type of lung cancer that occurs at the apex (top) of the lung and can invade nearby structures, including nerves.
Pancoast tumors commonly affect the brachial plexus and sympathetic nerves, particularly at the level of the first thoracic vertebra (T1). This involvement leads to the neurological symptoms observed in the upper limb and Horner syndrome due to disruption of the sympathetic chain.
Given the tumor's location at the apex of the lung, it is most likely to be situated at the level of the first thoracic vertebra (T1).
