Pulmonary thromboembolic disease or pulmonary artery intimal sarcoma: Case report and literature review

The present case study reported on a patient initially diagnosed with pulmonary embolism at the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University (Fuzhou, China) in May 2021. Furthermore, a relevant literature review was performed. The patient was a 57-year-old Chinese male who presented with dyspnea and wheezing following exercise. Physical examination revealed pulmonary valve second heart sound > aortic valve second heart sound but lack of swelling on both lower limbs, while the imaging results suggested pulmonary artery filling defects. Initially, the patient was diagnosed with pulmonary embolism and was administered anticoagulation treatment, which lasted for 3 months but proved to be ineffective. Subsequent re-examination via chest computed tomography further indicated multiple nodules in the left hilum and lung. Therefore, the patient was hospitalized for lung aspiration biopsy, which led to the final diagnosis of pulmonary artery intimal sarcoma based on the pathological review.