Pulmonary artery sarcoma in a pregnant woman: report of a case

Abstract

Background: We report the case of a 23-year-old pregnant woman with hemoptysis, cor pulmonale, and pulmonary artery sarcoma. The physiologic changes of pregnancy may have unmasked the pulmonary lesion.

Case: A 23-year-old woman presented at 28 weeks' gestation with acute onset of hemoptysis and dyspnea. A hilar mass was noted and a pulmonary embolus was diagnosed. Biopsy of the hilar mass was nondiagnostic. Emergency cesarean delivery was performed because of rapid clinical deterioration and an acute loss of fetal heart tones. Both mother and infant died. Autopsy of the mother demonstrated a large pulmonary artery sarcoma with metastases to both lungs and terminal bacterial bronchopneumonia.

Conclusion: Hemodynamic changes of pregnancy may have unmasked the pulmonary lesion in this case. Pulmonary artery sarcoma is an extremely rare tumor.