title: Pulmonary carcinosarcoma masquerading as a cryptic disseminated malignancy.
abstract: Pulmonary carcinosarcoma is an aggressive rare malignant tumor comprising a mixture of carcinoma and sarcoma components containing differentiated mesenchymal elements, such as malignant cartilage, bone, and skeletal muscle. We report a case which presented with unusual clinical features and proved cryptic until death. At autopsy, it was a stage IV lung malignancy and histopathology revealed a carcinosarcoma comprising an adenocarcinoma and an osteosarcoma with metastasis to the heart, lymph nodes, and both adrenals. To our knowledge, this is the first case of this subtype with metastasis to the heart. The present case had an unusual clinical presentation and its elusive nature towards diagnosis despite dissemination is noteworthy and unique in the literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Military Hospital Cardiothoracic Center, Pune Camp, Maharashtra 411040, India. amulyabhatti@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: Amulyajit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: J J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Falleiro
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Mani
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D000328:Adult; D001344:Autopsy; D002296:Carcinosarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index