Pulmonary artery sarcoma mimicking pulmonary embolism

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Surgery
• Oncology
• Radiology

Background:

• Primary sarcomas of major blood vessels are rare, often diagnosed posthumously.
• Pulmonary artery sarcoma is an exceptionally uncommon malignancy.

Observation:

• A 77-year-old man presented with acute dyspnea, found to have a large pulmonary artery mass.
• Initial suspicion of pulmonary embolism led to anticoagulant and thrombolytic therapy with poor response.

Findings:

• Surgical resection of the mass and pulmonary valve, followed by reconstruction, was performed.
• Histopathology confirmed a high-grade sarcoma with myogenic and chondrogenic differentiation.
• The patient achieved no evidence of disease after multimodal treatment.

Implications:

• Pulmonary artery sarcoma should be considered in patients with pulmonary embolism symptoms unresponsive to anticoagulation.
• Multimodal therapy offers potential for prolonged survival in this rare condition.