ANGIOSARCOMA OF THE CHEST-WALL WITH A GASTRIC METASTASIS

A rare case of chest-wall angiosarcoma with high tendency of local rec urrence and with a solitary gastric metastasis is reported. The patien t was an 84-year-old man who had a left lateral thoracic mass with a c olic pain. The histological diagnosis of a biopsied specimen suggested an angiosarcoma. The first resection was performed, the resected spec imen consisted of the 8th, 9th and 10th ribs including the tumor. Howe ver the tumor recurred around the primary site and the second resectio n was undertaken eight months after the first resection. Only three mo nths after the second resection a second chest-wall recurrence togethe r with a solitary gastric metastasis was found. Progressive emaciation , anemia and thrombocytopenia became evident, and the patient died the 40th day after the gastrectomy. Primarily a wide resection of the che st wall beyond the pathologically negative region around the tumor is thought to be necessary.