Carcinomatous lymphangitis mimicking pulmonary thromboembolism

A 41-year-old woman was admitted with rapidly worsening dyspnea. Echocardiography disclosed interventricular septal flattening and a markedly decreased left ventricle, although left ventricular contraction remained normal. Computed tomography of the chest demonstrated slightly dilated main pulmonary arteries and fine reticulonodular densities in the lung. Examination of a transbronchial lung biopsy specimen revealed carcinomatous lymphangitis, and the patient died 7 days after admission. The clinical presentation of this patient was difficult to discriminate from that seen with pulmonary thromboembolism.