Pulmonary Angiosarcoma Research Articles

Angiosarcoma of the Pulmonary Trunk Mimicking Pulmonary Thromboembolic Disease. A case report

We report on a 59-year-old male patient who suffered from dyspnea, cough and hemoptysis. Initial chest X-ray revealed a prominent right pulmonary artery (RPA) and MR imaging showed a "filling defect" within the main pulmonary trunk and RPA indicating pulmonary thromboembolic disease. Despite systemic anticoagulation, symptoms progressed. Follow-up CT showed an enlarging "filling defect" with additional extension into the left pulmonary artery as well as multiple intrapulmonary nodules. Lesion biopsy revealed a pulmonary artery angiosarcoma. Imaging findings are presented. Our case illustrates that pulmonary artery angiosarcoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of pulmonary thromboembolic disease in cases where a) symptoms do not respond to anticoagulation, b) no source of thrombi/emboli can be detected and c) pulmonary nodules/metastases develop on follow-up.

Radiographic, CT, and MRI findings in primary pulmonary angiosarcoma

We report a rare instance of primary pulmonary angiosarcoma presenting as a large solitary mass in the left upper lobe with mediastinal invasion. In particular, we emphasize the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging features, which included a markedly heterogeneous pattern consisting of hyperintense areas scattered throughout a background of intermediate signal intensity, rendering the lesion a cauliflower-like appearance especially on T2-weighted images. Being unreported so far in primary pulmonary angiosarcomas, these distinct MR imaging findings may be helpful in the differentiation of these neoplasms from lung cancers.

Angiosarcoma of the Lung

We report a case of a 64 year old female with a history of hemoptysis and pulmonary lesions. Exploratory thoracotomy, evacuation of the hemothorax, and biopsy of a pulmonary mass with pleural and pericardial metastasis was performed. Pulmonary angiosarcoma was diagnosed. We present this case as an additional example of this rare and lethal lesion and review the literature to better define its characteristic features.

Primary Pulmonary Angiosarcoma Associated with Multiple Synchronous Neoplasms

A 60-year-old man presented with a 3-month history of shortness of breath. He was found to have a right thoracic mass involving the right middle and lower lobes, pulmonary hilum, and mediastinum. Diagnosis could not be established by pleural fluid cytology, pleural biopsies, bronchoscopy, and ultrasound-guided needle biopsies. A diagnostic exploratory thoracotomy was performed. Massive hemorrhage was encountered upon opening the pleura, and bleeding was controlled by performing a radical pneumonectomy. Histology revealed angiosarcoma, pulmonary primary. The patient survived for 68 days. At autopsy, he was found to have adenocarcinoma of the prostate, adenocarcinoma of the rectum, carcinoid of the ileum, and leiomyoblastoma of the stomach as well as diffuse metastases from the angiosarcoma. This represents the fourth reported case of primary pulmonary angiosarcoma.

The intravascular bronchioloalveolar tumor and the sclerosing hemangioma of the lung: misnomers of pulmonary neoplasia.

Two very different uncommon pulmonary tumors continue to bear the misleading names originally given them. The intravascular bronchioloalveolar tumor (IVBAT) is not an epithelial tumor, but is an incurable multifocal primary pulmonary angiosarcoma with a variable and often indolent clinical course. Conversely the sclerosing hemangioma of the lung is not a vascular tumor, but is a solitary benign epithelial tumor of uncertain histogenesis with a complex architecture.