Key result
PET-CT differentiates rare pulmonary artery sarcoma from pulmonary thromboembolism to guide pneumonectomy.
Why the study?
Pulmonary artery sarcomas are very rare tumors that can mimic pulmonary thromboembolism, leading to underestimation of their true prevalence due to misdiagnosis.
Case Report (n=1)
Pulmonary artery sarcomas are rare tumors that can mimic pulmonary thromboembolism, and PET-CT may be a useful tool for differential diagnosis.
May support PET-CT consideration in ambiguous pulmonary artery lesions; leaves open prospective validation before wider adoption.
A 30 years old male patient was referred to our hospital with a diagnosis of pulmonary thromboembolism due to thorax-computerized tomography (CT) angiography, revealing a thrombus totally occluding left main pulmonary artery. The lesion was evaluated as tumoural mass. Positron emission tomography (PET)-CT revealed pathologic uptake at pulmonary artery mass. Due to localization of tumour, left pneumonectomy was performed. The pathological diagnosis revealed to be pulmonary artery sarcoma. The patient was presented because pulmonary artery sarcomas are very rare tumors and can mimick pulmonary thromboembolism. The true prevalence is underestimated as many pulmonary artery sarcomas are misdiagnosed as pulmonary thromboembolism. PET-CT may help to make a differential diagnosis.
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A 2011 study conducted a case report in Pulmonary artery sarcoma (n=1). PET-CT and left pneumonectomy was evaluated. PET-CT helped differentiate a rare pulmonary artery sarcoma from pulmonary thromboembolism in a 30-year-old male, leading to treatment with left pneumonectomy.
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