ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the clinical pathological features and imaging findings of primary pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma. Methods Fifteen patients with a pathologically verified primary pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma were reviewed retrospectively. Fourteen patients had CT examinations and I0 of them had contrast-enhanced CT scan. Nine patients had chest plain films. Results Of 15 patients, 14 were peripheral and 1 was central, diameters ranging from 2.5 cm to 9.5 cm. Five located in the upper, 3 in the middle and 4 in the lower lobe of the right lung. The other 3 located in the upper left lobe. All cases presented with a spheroid solid lung mass on chest plain film and CT examinations. Three had irregular eccentric cavities. Six were well demarcated, 2 were ill defined, 4 were lobulated and 3 were speculated. The central case had obstructive pneumonia and showed ill defined. Ten showed irregular peripheral heterogeneous contrast enhancement. The center part of the tumor showed no enhancement or inhomogeneous enhancement. Seven had thoracic wall or pleural invasion, 4 had hilar or mediastinal lymphopathy and 2 had metastasis. Histopathologically, 8 were pleomorphic carcinoma, 2 were spindle cell carcinoma, 3 were giant cell carcinoma and 3 were pulmonary blastomas. Conclusion The X-ray and CT findings of the primary pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma are not specific. The clinicopathologic features were the evidence of diagnosis.