Case Report: Primary Pulmonary Angiosarcoma With Brain Metastasis

• Published in: Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology 2022-01, Vol.9, p.803868
• Main Authors: Tang, Xiangjun, Zhu, Jing, Zhu, Fangcheng, Tu, Hanjun, Deng, Aiping, Lu, Junti, Yang, Minghuan, Dai, Longjun, Huang, Kuanming, Zhang, Li
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: autopsy; Bioengineering and Biotechnology; brain metastasis; diagnose; primary pulmonary angiosarcoma; treatment
• ISSN: 2296-4185; 2296-4185
• DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.803868

Primary pulmonary angiosarcoma (PPA) is a rare malignant vascular tumor, of which early diagnosis is challenging due to lack of specific clinical manifestations and a low level of suspicion. Here, we report a case of PPA presented with advanced brain metastasis. A 21-year-old patient with 1 week history of headache and mild cough was hospitalized for a head injury. Head MRI showed multiple intracranial lesions with brain edema. Chest CT displayed bilateral pulmonary infiltrates with mediastinal lymph node enlargement. After 2 months of anti-tuberculosis treatment, the patient was readmitted for persistent headache and cough with occasional hemosputum along with worsening pulmonary and intracranial lesions. Despite seizure prophylaxis and control of intracranial pressure and brain edema, his symptoms progressively aggravated, accompanied by cough with bloody sputum, frequent epileptic seizures, and hypotension. He eventually developed coma and died within 3 months of onset of symptoms. An autopsy confirmed PPA with brain metastasis.