Angiosarcoma of the Scalp: Metastatic Pulmonary Cystic Lesions Initially Misinterpreted as Benign Findings on 18F-FDG PET/CT

Angiosarcomas are rare and only represent about 2% of all soft tissue sarcomas. They arise from vascular or lymphatic endothelial cells and are most commonly located in the heart, liver, breast, and skin. Cutaneous angiosarcoma of the scalp is highly malignant and with dismal prognosis. Reported fiv...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kim Francis Andersen, Elisabeth Albrecht-Beste, Anne Kiil Berthelsen, Annika Loft
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2015-12-01
Series:Diagnostics
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/6/1/1
Description
Summary:Angiosarcomas are rare and only represent about 2% of all soft tissue sarcomas. They arise from vascular or lymphatic endothelial cells and are most commonly located in the heart, liver, breast, and skin. Cutaneous angiosarcoma of the scalp is highly malignant and with dismal prognosis. Reported five-year survival is <30%. The mainstay of treatment is surgical resection and adjuvant radiation therapy, but failure rates following local therapy are high. Cutaneous angiosarcoma of the scalp has a predilection for pulmonary metastases with a variety of morphologic patterns on imaging. Metastatic disease in terms of pulmonary thin-walled, cystic lesions, may not be hypermetabolic on 18F-FDG PET and, as such, could be misinterpreted as benign findings. We present a case demonstrating the diagnostic uncertainty and delay in an elderly male with angiosarcoma of the scalp presenting with metastatic lung lesions following failure of local therapy.
ISSN:2075-4418