Pulmonary artery sarcoma mimicking a pulmonary embolism.
Sarcomas involving the lung are a rare occurrence, often a result of metastatic disease from primary malignancies involving the skin, liver, breast or heart. Primary pulmonary artery sarcomas are rarer still, with limited cases reported world-wide and consequently data regarding treatment modalities are sparse and largely experimental. These tumors are often mistaken for a pulmonary embolism and seemingly supported by radiological findings. Patients will often present without symptom resolution despite therapeutic anticoagulation. The following case illustrates how a soft tissue sarcoma of the pulmonary artery can mimic a pulmonary embolism, thus, resulting in both a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma. A positron emission tomography scan was an invaluable tool in this case, showing increased radiotracer uptake and placing neoplasm at the top of the differential diagnosis. This ultimately led to a biopsy that was vimentin positive, cytokeratin negative and CD117 negative, thus consistent with soft tissue sarcoma.
Sandhu
A
A
Departments of Internal Medicine, Henry Ford Hospital, 2799 West Grand Blvd, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.
Yates
T J
TJ
Kuriakose
P
P
D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000150:complications; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000473:pathology*; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000473:pathology*; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D019043:Vascular Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*