title: Intimal Sarcoma of the Descending Aorta Mimicking Aortitis.
abstract: We describe a 74-year-old male patient with an intimal sarcoma of the descending aorta mimicking aortitis. The patient presented with lower back pain, fever, and increased C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) serum levels, together withStaphylococcus epidermidis-positive blood cultures. These findings, together with evidence of a 49-mm pseudoaneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta, caused us to suspect aortitis. However, postoperative histology and immunohistochemistry demonstrated the presence of an intimal aortic sarcoma. At the 8-month follow-up, local recurrence of the neoplasm and lung metastases were noted.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pathology, University Hospital, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pucci
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Martino
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Levantino
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Surgery, University Hospital, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Berchiolli
authors.affiliation: Division of Pathology, University Hospital, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Fulvio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Basolo
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Uberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bortolotti
keywords: Aorta; Aortic tumor; Aortitis