Pulmonary artery intimal sarcoma: a brief case series

Primary pulmonary artery intimal sarcomas are often diagnosed only at the time of surgery or autopsy as a result of few specific findings both clinically and on imaging studies. We report two cases of this rare and lethal malignancy, both of which were initially thought to be manifestations of thromboembolic disease. In the case of one man, the diagnosis was delayed several months, at which point attempted surgical resection was not feasible. In the second case the echocardiographic and computed tomographic results generated further evaluation. This led to a more prompt diagnosis and treatment extending the patient's survival. In addition, we describe the echocardiographic findings that lent support to the need for surgical intervention and histologic diagnosis.