title: Primary aortic sarcoma with widespread vascular embolic metastases.
abstract: Intimal sarcoma of the aorta is a rare and aggressive mesenchymal neoplasm with a propensity to metastasize and to embolize distant arteries. The diagnosis is most commonly made by autopsy or after surgery for an aortic aneurysm. Surgery is the treatment of choice in patients who do not have metastatic disease. The prognosis is generally poor, with death resulting in most patients within a few months from diagnosis. We describe a rare case of intimal sarcoma of the aorta that showed simultaneous involvement of the thoracic and abdominal aorta and also widespread embolic metastases to the main large vessels of the brain, heart, liver, kidneys, and spleen.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario Doce de Octubre, Avenida de Córdoba Km 5,4, E-28041, Madrid, Spain
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Muñoz
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hitt
authors.forename: Vivian
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Artiles
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: Hernán
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cortés-Funes
authors.forename: Ramón
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Colomer