Primary pulmonary epithelioid sarcoma: a case report

Epithelioid sarcoma most frequently occurs in the dermal or subcutaneous area of the distal extremities. To date, there have been three cases of primary pulmonary epithelioid sarcoma reported. We report a case of epithelioid sarcoma that is considered a primary lung tumor.

A 65-year-old asymptomatic Asian male patient underwent chest radiography during a routine health examination, and an abnormal mass was detected. His past medical history was unremarkable. He smoked 40 cigarettes every day and had slightly obstructive impairment on spirometry. He worked as an employee of a company and had no history of asbestos exposure. He underwent partial resection of the right lung by thoracoscopy. A histological examination of the tumor revealed a cellular nodule of epithelioid and spindle-shaped cells. Some of the tumor cells displayed rhabdoid features and reticular arrangement in a myxomatous stroma. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were positive for vimentin, smooth muscle actin (SMA), CD34, and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA); loss of the BAF47/INI1 protein in the tumor cells was also confirmed. A diagnosis of epithelioid sarcoma was established. Careful screening by whole-body positron emission tomography for another primary lesion after surgery did not detect any possible lesion. He had no cutaneous disease.

To our knowledge, this is the fourth case of a proximal-type epithelioid sarcoma considered as a primary lung tumor.