Primary pulmonary angiosarcoma mimicking diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage: A case report

Abstract

Pulmonary angiosarcomas are usually secondary tumors, and a primary angiosarcoma of the lung is extremely rare. The present study reports a case of an elderly patient diagnosed with primary pulmonary angiosarcoma (PPA). A 78-year-old man presented with a 3-month history of cough and blood in phlegm. A computed tomography scan of the chest indicated pulmonary infection with ground-glass opacity in the right upper lobe. The patient underwent lobectomy of the right upper lobe as his clinical symptoms did not significantly improve after anti-infection treatment. The postoperative pathological examination confirmed a diagnosis of PPA. He developed left lung and pelvic metastases 1 month after surgery. After four cycles of liposomal doxorubicin therapy, the patient achieved partial remission. The patient remained in sustained remission after 6 months of follow-up. The present case report is intended to provide diagnostic insight into PPA. In addition, the findings indicate that timely diagnosis and treatment of PPA are very important due to its increased risk of local recurrence and distant metastasis.