Pulmonary carcinosarcoma with an aggressive heterologous angiosarcoma component: A case report

ABSTRACT

Pulmonary carcinosarcomas are rare biphasic lung tumors comprised of malignant epithelial and malignant mesenchymal components. The most common heterologous sarcomatous elements are osteosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, and chondrosarcoma; a heterologous angiosarcoma component in a pulmonary carcinosarcoma is exceedingly rare. We report a case of a pulmonary carcinosarcoma containing adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, undifferentiated malignant spindle cell, and heterologous angiosarcoma components. The patient, a 64-year-old woman, had initially presented to medical attention with hemoptysis. Although the tumor was thought to be confined to the lung at resection (pT3N0), she developed multiple metastatic foci within 3 weeks of lobectomy and required the evacuation of an intraparenchymal left occipital hematoma secondary to a hemorrhagic intra-axial focus of metastatic carcinosarcoma. She died 6 weeks after her primary lung resection from rapidly progressive metastatic disease. We hope the description and discussion provided herein will further the medical community's understanding of this rare malignancy.