Pulmonary Angiosarcoma With Synchronous Invasive Aspergillosis Presenting as Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage and Acute Kidney Injury: A Case Report of a Previously Unreported Combination Posing a Diagnostic Challenge

Cureus. 2023 May 3;15(5):e38507. doi: 10.7759/cureus.38507. eCollection 2023 May.

Abstract

Angiosarcoma is a rare soft tissue sarcoma originating from endothelial cells. It can occur anywhere when there is a blood vessel or lymphatic channel, making highly perfused cutaneous sites their usual location, though they can also develop within visceral structures. Pulmonary angiosarcoma is usually caused by metastasis from other primary sites. The clinical course of pulmonary angiosarcoma is very aggressive, and the prognosis is poor. We present a case of a 55-year-old man who presented to the hospital with progressive exertional dyspnea and right-sided pleuritic chest pain for the past few days. He was found to have recurrent anemia and acute kidney injury. His hospital course was complicated by the development of hypoxia and hemoptysis. Computed tomography of the chest without contrast revealed bilateral nodular, ground-glass opacities compatible with diffuse alveolar hemorrhage. Further investigation with a lung biopsy revealed epithelioid angiosarcoma with extensive microvascular tumor emboli and invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (Aspergillus fumigatus) with patchy necrotizing pneumonia. He later developed acute hypoxic respiratory failure and worsening kidney failure, so he was transferred to the intensive care unit. Upon discussing with the family, the patient was put on comfort measures, and he passed away the following day. We present a rare presentation of concurrence of pulmonary angiosarcoma and invasive aspergillosis. Upon searching the literature, our case is one of the first to report such concurrence. Because of its rarity, the non-specific clinical presentation makes the diagnosis challenging.

Keywords: acute kidney failure; alveolar hemorrhage; ground-glass opacities; hemoptysis; hypoxic respiratory failure; invasive pulmonary aspergillosis; pulmonary angiosarcoma.

Publication types

  • Case Reports