Chondrosarcoma Presenting as a Saddle Tumor Pulmonary Embolism

Neoplastic embolization to systemic and pulmonary arteries

OBJECTIVE

Arterial neoplastic emboli are uncommon, accounting for <1% of thromboemboli in the current literature. Nonetheless, this event may be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Herein, we report a series of 11 cases of arterial neoplastic emboli from a single tertiary care center along with a comprehensive review of the literature to date. The aim of this study was to document the incidence, clinical presentations, and complications of arterial neoplastic emboli as well as to highlight the importance of routine histologic examination of thrombectomy specimens.

METHODS

Pathology archives from a single tertiary care institution were queried to identify cases of surgically resected arterial emboli containing neoplasm (1998-2014). Histopathology was reviewed for confirmation of diagnosis. Patient demographics and oncologic history were abstracted from the medical record. Comprehensive literature review documented 332 patients in 275 reports (1930-2016).

RESULTS

Eleven patients (six men) with a median age of 63 years (interquartile range, 42-71 years) were identified through institutional archives. Embolism was the primary form of diagnosis in seven (64%) cases. Cardiac involvement (primary or metastasis) was present in more than half of the cohort. Comprehensive literature review revealed that pulmonary primaries were the most common anatomic origin of arterial neoplastic emboli, followed by gastrointestinal neoplasia. Cardiac involvement was present in 18% of patients, and sentinel identification of neoplasia occurred in 30% of cases. Postmortem evaluation was the primary means of diagnosis in 27%.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the importance of routine histopathologic evaluation of embolectomy specimens in patients with and without documented neoplasia.

Pulmonary tumor embolism secondary to soft tissue and bone sarcomas: a case report and literature review

Background

Tumor embolisms (TE) are an underappreciated source of pulmonary embolisms in sarcoma. Most evidence in the literature is limited to case reports and none have described the presence of TE secondary to myxofibrosarcoma. We report the first case of myxofibrosarcoma TE and perform a review of the literature for TE secondary to bone and soft tissue sarcomas (STS).

Case presentation

A 36-year-old female presented with debilitating pain of the right upper extremity secondary to a recurrent soft tissue sarcoma. She had distant metastasis to the lung. An MRI revealed a 25-cm shoulder mass involving the proximal arm muscles with encasement of the axillary artery, vein, and brachial plexus. A palliative forequarter amputation was performed and tumor thrombus was evident within the axillary artery and vein. Postoperatively, she developed an acute onset of dyspnea and hypoxia. A computed tomography scan revealed a pulmonary saddle embolism. A bilateral lower extremity venous duplex was negative. She became hemodynamically unstable despite resuscitation and was placed on vasopressor support. A transthoracic echocardiogram revealed elevated pulmonary artery pressure, tricuspid regurgitation, right heart dilation, and reduced right heart systolic function consistent with acute cor pulmonale. The patient did not want to pursue a median sternotomy with pulmonary artery embolectomy and expired from cardiopulmonary arrest within 24 h of the operation. The final pathology revealed a 25 × 16 × 13 cm high-grade myxofibrosarcoma with invasion into the bone, skin, and neurovascular bundle as well as evidence of tumor thrombus.

Conclusion

TE is a rare but deadly cause of pulmonary embolism in sarcoma. A high index of suspicion is necessary in individuals who present with respiratory-related symptoms, especially dyspnea. Diagnostic confirmation with a computed tomography scan of the chest and echocardiogram should be rapid. Unlike venous thromboembolism, pulmonary embolectomy remains the preferred therapeutic approach.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12957-017-1223-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Right atrial tumor embolism from thoracic chondrosarcoma: A case report

Chondrosarcoma accounts for ~15% of all primary malignant bone tumors. Chondrosarcoma of the spine is rare, while intra-atrial tumor embolisms as a result of chondrosarcoma are extremely rare. In the present study, the case of a 70-year-old male with thoracic chondrosarcoma, who presented with a fever and exertional dyspnea, is reported. Following anti-infection treatment with cefoperazone sodium and sulbactam sodium, the patient developed shock and a mass was identified in the right atrium by echocardiogram. The patient subsequently developed acute circular breathing failure and succumbed to the disease. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of thoracic chondrosarcoma with a tumor embolism in the right atrium to be reported in the literature.

Chondrosarcoma presenting with pulmonary embolism in a 9-year-old girl: a case report

Chondrosarcoma is a malignant bone tumour common in adults, third to myeloma and osteosarcoma, but is exceptionally rare in children. Here we discuss a 9-year-old girl presenting with occlusive right pulmonary artery neoplastic embolus, resulting from a primary right proximal humerus chondrosarcoma. To the best of our knowledge, this the first pediatric and only second overall case reported in the United States of a neoplastic pulmonary embolus resulting from a primary chondrosarcoma.