Don’t stop at first glance: pulmonary artery angiosarcoma mimicking chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension

Abstract

We report the case of an incomplete diagnosis of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, with relevant prognostic implications, missing the presence of a primary pulmonary artery angiosarcoma. After the late neoplasm diagnosis, the patient, treated for months with riociguat, was considered inoperable and died soon after. This case highlights the need to manage patients with suspected pulmonary arterial hypertension by expert referral centers with specific and multi-professional expertise (heart and thoracic imaging) in order to avoid incomplete or delayed diagnoses.