CT Findings of Pulmonary Metastases from Primary Cardiac Angiosarcoma

Title:CT Findings of Pulmonary Metastases from Primary Cardiac Angiosarcoma

Volume: 17

Author(s): Yan Chen, Xiang He, Jianfeng Shang, Nan Zhang, Xiaodan Li, Jiayi Liu, Lei Xu, Dongting Liu, Yu Li, Zhonghua Sun*Zhaoying Wen

Affiliation:

• Discipline of Medical Radiation Science, Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Perth,Australia

Keywords: Angiosarcoma, chest, computed tomography, nodules, heart, Primary cardiac angiosarcoma (PCAS).

Abstract:

Background: Primary cardiac angiosarcoma is a rare malignancy with high predilection to involve surrounding structures such as pulmonary metastases. We analysed the chest computed tomography (CT) imaging features of patients diagnosed with primary cardiac angiosarcoma with pulmonary metastases in this study.

Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed 12 patients with confirmed primary cardiac angiosarcoma, out of which eight (all men) with pulmonary metastasis were included in the analysis. The patients’ age ranged from 17 to 74 (mean: 48) years. CT was performed in all patients with unenhanced, contrast-enhanced, and both scans were done in 1, 3 and 4 patients, respectively.

Results: Nodular lesions were observed in 7 patients with multiple solid nodules observed in 6 out of 7 patients. A solitary solid nodule was found in the remaining patient in the upper lobe and apical segment of the right lung with a diameter of 11.7 mm. All solid nodules were distributed along with bronchovascular bundles in the lungs, and their maximum diameter ranged from 2.3 to 19.9 mm. Nodules larger than 10 mm in diameter were heterogeneously enhanced on contrast-enhanced CT images (5/8 patients), whereas those smaller than 10 mm were homogeneously enhanced (3/8 patients). Other imaging features, namely the tree-in-bud pattern, emphysema, pleural effusion, and mediastinal lymph node enlargement, were observed in 4, 3, 3, and 2 patients, respectively.

Conclusion: CT enhancement features of pulmonary metastasis in patients with primary cardiac angiosarcoma depend on the size of pulmonary nodules, with larger ones being heterogeneous and smaller ones homogeneous. Other signs are less noticed.

Cite this article as:

Chen Yan, He Xiang , Shang Jianfeng, Zhang Nan , Li Xiaodan , Liu Jiayi , Xu Lei , Liu Dongting , Li Yu , Sun Zhonghua *, Wen Zhaoying , CT Findings of Pulmonary Metastases from Primary Cardiac Angiosarcoma, Current Medical Imaging 2021; 17 (10) : e210521193488 . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1573405617666210521151753

DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1573405617666210521151753	Print ISSN 1573-4056
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher	Online ISSN 1875-6603