SARCOMAS OF THE PULMONARY-ARTERY - REPORT OF 2 CASES AND A LITERATURE-REVIEW

Two cases of pulmonary artery angiosarcomas are reported. Pulmonary ar tery tumor was diagnosed during exploratory thoracotomy ii? the first case. II was suspected on,magnetic resonance imaging and confirmed by surgery in the second case. The therapeutic was a light pneumonectomy for the first patient and a tumor resection followed by chemotherapy a nd radiotherapy on cerebral metastases Sor the second patient. Both ou r patients died 13 and 44 months after. surgery. On the basis of histo logical and immunohistochemical findings both tumors were angiosarcoma s. Ultrastructural examination in rite second case revealed an endothe lial differentiation, The review of 142 previously reported cases of p ulmonary artery sarcomas and these ultrastructural findings suggest th at pulmonary; artery sarcomas may have multiple origins; leiomyosarcom as deriving from arterial smooth muscle; angiosarcomas deriving Si-om rite endothelium and undifferentiated! sal-comas oi ''myointimal sarco mas'' deriving Si-om myointimal cells.