Pulmonary Artery Sarcoma vs Pulmonary Embolism: Critical CT and MRI Clues for Accurate Diagnosis
Primary Pulmonary Artery Sarcoma: The Rare Vascular Malignancy That Mimics Pulmonary Embolism Introduction Among the most challenging diagnoses in thoracic imaging is the differentiation of a massive pulmonary embolism from a primary pulmonary artery sarcoma (PPAS). Although pulmonary embolism is encountered daily in emergency departments and radiology practices worldwide, PPAS remains one of the rarest vascular malignancies known in medicine. The clinical significance of this distinction cannot be overstated. Patients with PPAS are frequently misdiagnosed as having pulmonary thromboembolic disease and consequently receive anticoagulation therapy for weeks or months before the correct diagnosis is established. During this delay, the tumor continues to grow, infiltrate adjacent structures, and dramatically worsen prognosis. The present case illustrates exactly such a scenario. A 64-year-old man presented with progressive cough and dyspnea for one month. Initial CT angiography demonstrat...