Hemothorax Caused by Primary Pulmonary Angiosarcoma.
A previously healthy 57-year-old woman was admitted to the Emergency Department with hemothorax. She had continuously blood loss during the next 24 hours accordingly she went to the OR in order to achieve hemostasis.
Intraoperative findings were multiple lesions in the lung parenchyma and
diffuse bleeding from multiple small abnormal nodules on the surface of the visceral pleural and parietal pleura.
Biopsies prompted the diagnosis of angiosarcoma and with the primary
tumour burden in the lung parenchyma the pathologist diagnosed a primary pulmonary angiosarcoma.
The disease was widespread at the time of diagnosis accordingly curative intended treatment was not an option and because of her general poor condition she died one day after discharge. Sarcoma in general is very rare tumour contributing with only 0.7% of all malignant tumours while angiosarcoma is even rarer contributing with only 1% all sarcomas.
The presence of an angiosarcoma in the lung is usually a consequence of metastasis from another primary site but in very few cases it has been described with a primary origin in the lung.
A previously healthy 57-year-old woman was admitted to the Emergency Department with shortness of breath and in general poor conditions. The oxygen saturation was 91%, blood pressure 113/68 mmHg, and heart rate 119 beats per minute.
Blood samples revealed hemoglobin at 4.2 mmol/l, white blood cell count 24.3 x 109/l and C-reactive protein 128 mg/l . A chest X-ray at the primary survey demonstrated pleural effusion on the right side.
Pulm Res Respir Med Open J. 2014; 1(1): 46-48. doi: 10.17140/PRRMOJ-2-106
