[Reoperation for recurrent chondrosarcoma of the pulmonary trunk]

A 71-year-old woman who had progressive dyspnea and edema two years after resection of a pulmonary trunk chondrosarcoma was diagnosed as severe obstruction to the pulmonary trunk due to the recurrent tumor. Magnetic resonance examination following the intravenous administration of Gd-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) revealed striking contrast enhancement within the lesion of the pulmonary trunk sarcoma. At reoperation, the recurrent mass was identified within the same site of the pulmonary trunk and total resection of the tumor and replacement of the pulmonary trunk with prosthetic graft was performed utilizing a cardiopulmonary bypass. There have been very few reports on replacements of pulmonary trunks for pulmonary artery sarcomas. It is reported that the prognosis of the pulmonary trunk sarcoma is extremely poor, however, this patient has undergone thoracotomies twice within two years and continued to be symptom-free without distant metastatic lesions.