title: Death due to a leiomyosarcoma of the pulmonary artery.
abstract: Leiomyosarcomas of the pulmonary arteries are rare neoplasms seldom diagnosed during the patient's lifetime. We report a case of unexpected death in a 44-year-old man due to a leiomyosarcoma originating from the main pulmonary trunk and involving the right and left arteries as far as the lobar ramifications. The patient died after a 2-year history of bronchiectasis and chronic bronchopneumonia with weight loss and occasional episodes of syncope during the last 4 months. Immunohistochemical demonstration for alpha-smooth muscle actin was necessary to make a histological diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma. A review of pulmonary artery leiomyosarcomas is also presented.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, Sacro Cuore University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marchetti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: La Monaca
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ranalletta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007890:Leiomyosarcoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011651:Pulmonary Artery; D019043:Vascular Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology