Intimal Sarcoma of the Pulmonary Artery: a Rare Cause of Pulmonary Hypertension

Intimal sarcoma of the pulmonary artery is a rare tumor that is usually diagnosed during surgery or autopsy. Such tumors are characterized by local growth, with only slight ability to metastasize. Diagnosis is difficult and often delayed owing to the nonspecific nature of the symptoms. Since intimal sarcoma of the pulmonary artery is so rare and insidious it is often confused with pulmonary thromboembolism and is therefore treated inappropriately with prolonged anticoagulation or thrombolysis. With a mean survival of 12 months from the onset of symptoms, the prognosis is poor. We present the case of a woman who was preoperatively diagnosed with intimal sarcoma of the pulmonary artery and who underwent surgical resection with no apparent recurrence at long term follow-up. A review of the literature is also included.