Skip to main content

CT features of pulmonary artery sarcoma: critical aid to a challenging diagnosis

Emergency Radiology volume 17, pages 153–155 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

Pulmonary artery sarcoma is an uncommon and highly malignant neoplasm that presents a diagnostic challenge to radiologists due to its tendency to mimic the more common condition of pulmonary thromboembolism. Presented in this case report is a patient with pulmonary artery sarcoma who was initially diagnosed with saddle pulmonary embolism based upon computed tomography (CT) findings. The case emphasizes the importance of including pulmonary artery sarcoma in the differential diagnosis of a large filling defect in the pulmonary arteries when specific CT findings are identified in the appropriate clinical setting.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

43,34 €

Price includes VAT (Finland)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

References

  1. Mandelstamm M (1923) Ueber Primaeren Neubildungen des Herzen. Virchow Arch Path Anat 245:43–54. doi:10.1007/BF01992097

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Cox JE, Chiles C, Aquino SL et al (1997) Pulmonary artery sarcomas: a review of clinical and radiologic features. J Comput Assist Tomogr 21:750–755. doi:10.1097/00004728-199709000-00018

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Kanjanauthai S, Kanluen T, Ray C (2008) Pulmonary artery sarcoma masquerading as saddle pulmonary emboli. Heart Lung Circ 17:417–419. doi:10.1016/j.hlc.2007.08.003

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Yi CA, Lee KS, Choe YH et al (2004) Computed tomography in pulmonary artery sarcoma: distinguishing features from pulmonary embolic disease. J Comput Assist Tomogr 28:34–39. doi:10.1097/00004728-200401000-00005

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Kruger I, Borowiski A, Horst M et al (1990) Symptoms, diagnosis, and therapy of primary sarcomas of the pulmonary artery. Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 38:91–95. doi:10.1055/s-2007-1014001

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Mandel J, Mark EJ (2000) Case records of the Massachusetts General Hospital Weekly clinicopathological exercises Case 25-2000. A 69-year-old woman with pleuritic pain and a pulmonary arterial obstruction. N Engl J Med 343(7):493–500

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 601 N. Caroline Street, Room 3251, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA

    Svati Singla Long, Pamela T. Johnson & Elliot K. Fishman

  2. Department of Pathology, The Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287-0801, USA

    Ralph H. Hruban

Authors
  1. Svati Singla Long
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Pamela T. Johnson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ralph H. Hruban
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Elliot K. Fishman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elliot K. Fishman.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Singla Long, S., Johnson, P.T., Hruban, R.H. et al. CT features of pulmonary artery sarcoma: critical aid to a challenging diagnosis. Emerg Radiol 17, 153–155 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10140-009-0812-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10140-009-0812-z

Keywords

  • Pulmonary artery sarcoma
  • Pulmonary thromboembolism
  • Computed tomography
  • Multiplanar reconstructions