FDG-PET/CT Demonstrates Splenic Angiosarcoma Bone Marrow Metastasis

Application value of 18F-FDG PET/CT in primary spleen angiosarcoma with liver metastasis: a case report and literature review

Background

Primary splenic angiosarcoma (PSA) is a rare neoplasm. It is a malignant tumor derived from endothelial cells of the splenic sinuses. PSA has an unknown etiology, a high degree of malignancy, easy early metastasis, atypical clinical symptoms and imaging findings, and difficult early diagnosis. This paper reports the 18F-FDG PET/CT findings of a case of PSA with intrahepatic metastasis; summarizes its clinical, imaging, and pathological data; and reviews the literature.

Case description

A 64-year-old male patient presented with left lower abdominal distending pain without obvious causes on 13 March 2022. The pain was persistent and dull and worsened after sitting and eating. Blood routine examination results were RBC ↓ 3.33 × 1012/L, WBC ↑ 12.32 × 109/L, and PLT ↓ 40 × 109/L. The tumor markers indicated CA125 ↑ 47.0 U/ml, AFP (-), CEA (-), CA199 (-), and CA724 (-). Non-contrast-enhanced CT scan of the abdomen showed that the spleen was significantly enlarged in volume and irregular in shape and had multiple nodules and clumpy low-density shadows, unclear boundaries, uneven density, and multiple necrotic areas. Enhanced CT showed diffuse uneven mild enhancement of the spleen, and the degree of enhancement increased with time. Multiple nodular low-density shadows were seen in the liver, which were slightly enhanced by the enhanced scan.18F-FDG PET/CT showed multiple nodular and massive lesions in the spleen with multiple necrotic areas. There were multiple nodular lesions in the liver, the level of FDG metabolism increased, the SUVmax of the spleen lesions was 9.0, and the SUVmax of the liver lesions was 5.6. The 18F-FDG PET/CT diagnosis was splenic malignancy with liver metastasis. Finally, after a multidisciplinary discussion, it was decided to perform laparoscopic total splenectomy and portal vein infusion chemotherapy. Pathological examination showed that the tumor cells were round, oval, or fusiform, with obvious atypia, arranged into a cable or anastomosed vascular lumen. The final diagnosis was primary splenic angiosarcoma with massive necrosis. After surgery, the patient received antitumor combined therapy and died 5 months later.

Conclusion

The incidence of PSA is very low, and its clinical and radiological manifestations lack specificity. 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging has a certain diagnostic value for PSA and significant utility in preoperative staging, guiding biopsy procedures, evaluating postoperative treatment response, and monitoring disease recurrence. PSA should be considered in the presence of a space-occupying lesion within the spleen that exhibits necrotic areas, shows progressive enhancement on contrast-enhanced scans, and demonstrates heterogeneous increases in FDG uptake.

Metastatic splenic angiosarcoma presenting with anemia and bone marrow fibrosis mimicking primary myelofibrosis: A case report and literature review

Angiosarcomas, originating from endothelial cells, are infrequent soft tissue sarcomas characterized by a high propensity for metastasis and an unfavorable prognosis. Splenic angiosarcoma, an exceedingly rare and aggressive neoplasm, exhibits variable clinical manifestations. The present case report describes a patient initially exhibiting anemia and bone marrow fibrosis, mimicking primary myelofibrosis, ultimately diagnosed with splenic angiosarcoma. The findings of the present case report underscore the importance of considering splenectomy for histopathological confirmation. Employing a panel of vascular differentiation markers is invaluable for establishing the diagnosis of angiosarcoma.

FDG PET/CT in a Case of Primary Angiosarcoma of the Kidney

ABSTRACT

Primary angiosarcoma of the kidney is a rare aggressive malignancy. We describe MRI and FDG PET/CT findings in a case of primary renal angiosarcoma with hepatic, pulmonary, and bony metastases. The large primary tumor showed extensive necrosis and increased FDG uptake in the nonnecrotic components. Multiple metastatic lesions in the liver, lung, and bones were detected by FDG PET/CT. Most of the hepatic metastases seen on MRI were missed on FDG PET/CT due to low FDG avidity.

Primary Hepatic Angiosarcoma Having FDG Uptake at the Similar Level of the Normal Liver Parenchyma

ABSTRACT

Primary hepatic angiosarcoma is a rare but aggressive malignancy. A 60-year-old woman presented with multiple liver lesions with progressive enhancement detected with multiphasic CT. FDG PET did not show any FDG-avid lesions, and the uptake of hepatic lesions was similar to that of the normal liver parenchyma. Subsequently, pathological examination revealed hepatic angiosarcoma.

[Metastatic lesion of the bone marrow caused by primary angiosarcoma of the spleen]

The article presents a rare case of bone marrow metastasis of the spleen angiosarcoma. The observation is of particular interest due to the fact that secondary bone marrow damage in angiosarcoma in the vast majority of cases is due by primary tumor growth in the spleen. Clinically, such cases may resemble the course of blood diseases with hematological disorders and splenomegaly. Patients come into the field of view of a hematologist, and the final diagnosis is unexpected to the attending physician. Detection of angiosarcoma growth in a bone marrow trephine biopsy during morphological examination can be a rare finding for a pathologist. In this regard, the presented case is of interest not only for pathologists, but also for doctors of clinical specialties.

Spleen angiosarcoma: a world review

Introduction: Spleen angiosarcoma (SA) is a rare malignant neoplasm that arises from the splenic vascular endothelium, with only around 300 cases reported to date. Due to a limited number of reported cases, there is a paucity of data and a lack of understanding of its presentation, diagnosis, and management. In this study, we aim to provide a comprehensive review of SA.Areas covered: On 27 February 2021, a literature search was done in PubMed and Embase database. The search yielded 122 articles involving 205 patients. The focus was on patient demographics, risk factors, clinical presentations, investigation results, preliminary diagnoses, therapies provided, and patient outcomes. These factors were analyzed to identify possible risk factors, diagnostic modalities, and therapeutic principles that were not mentioned before.Expert opinion: The clinical presentation or investigation results of patients with SA are often nonspecific. Hence, they may not be sufficient to clinch the diagnosis of SA if used alone. The authors recommend a triple assessment of clinical examination, imaging findings, and pathology to diagnose SA with high accuracy. Splenectomy should be the mainstay of management, with chemotherapy and radiotherapy considered as adjuncts, especially in the presence of metastases.