“Lâcher de ballons” or “release of balloons” sign

Excerpt

“Lâcher de ballons” is a French phrase that translates as the “release of balloons” (Fig. 1). Particularly in the French literature, it serves as a poetic metaphor for the radiographic appearance of multiple, variably sized, well-circumscribed pulmonary lesions (Fig. 2) [1]. Typically a manifestation of hematogenous disease spread, it can be seen in a number of conditions. Classically, it has been linked to renal cell carcinoma, but other primary malignancies include choriocarcinoma and tumors of testicular germ cell origin, as well as prostate, endometrial, and gastrointestinal tumors [2, 3]. Multiple large pulmonary masses also can have a benign origin, with etiologies including infection, immunologic disease, or infarction [4].

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