Hemoptysis in a patient with multifocal primary pulmonary angiosarcoma.

Abstract

Primary pulmonary angiosarcoma (PPA) is a rare tumour arising from arterial or venous pulmonary vessels of various size. It is characterized by aggressive course and poor prognosis. The early diagnosis is difficult due to diverse clinical and radiological manifestations. We present a case report of 70 year-old man, active cigarette-smoker, with a 2-month history of non-massive hemoptysis. The thorax CT revealed several solid pulmonary nodules surrounded by areas of ground glass opacity. As bronchoscopy failed to deliver adequate tissue samples, video assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) with pleura and lung biopsy was necessary. Histopathological findings were consistent with pulmonary angiosarcoma. Since no extrapulmonary lesions were demonstrated, the final diagnosis of primary pulmonary angiosarcoma was made. The patient died three months after the onset of symptoms. Our case report highlights that differential diagnosis in patients with hemoptysis and pulmonary nodules should include primary pulmonary sarcoma.