J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2008;135:688-689
© 2008 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery
Hemothorax caused by rupture of a primitive thoracic leiomyosarcoma of the thoracic aorta: Description of a case and literature review
F. Catena*,
R. Bianchi,
L. Ansaloni,
A.D. Pinna
Department of General, Emergency and Transplant Surgery, St Orsola–Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy
Received for publication October 2, 2007; accepted for publication October 16, 2007.
* Address for reprints: Fausto Catena, MD, 40138 Bologna, Italy. (Email: fcatena@aosp.bo.it).
| The first 20% of the full text of this article appears below. |
The first diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma of a large blood vessel (inferior vena cava) was made by Wirchow, as reported by Varela-Duran, Oliva, Rosai,1
and it was later described by Perl2 in 1871. In 1873 Brodowsky3 reported the first case of aortic leiomyosarcoma. Since then, 32 cases of aortic leiomyosarcoma have been reported in the literature but only 4 cases of thoracic leiomyosarcoma4-9 treated in an emergency setting (
Table 1).
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Table 1 Emergency treated thoracic aorta leiomyosarcoma: literature review
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The emergency diagnosis of aortic leiomyosarcoma can be problematic. Because of the initial presentation, the first strategy is always to treat a more common problem (ruptured thoracic aorta). It is then necessary to change the approach while the operation is being carried out according to oncologic surgery principles. Leiomyosarcomas are clinically silent until the moment of rupture, and the emergency operation has a high perioperative mortality related to hemorrhagic shock.7 Owing to its biologic properties, leiomyosarcoma frequently relapses and gives rise to metastasis with a high mortality rate within the first 2 years after diagnosis.1,6
In the present study we report a case of a patient with leiomyosarcoma of the descending thoracic aorta . . . [Full Text of this Article]
Copyright © 2008 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery.
