Significance of Clinico-radiological Correlation in a Patient with Pulmonary Intimal Sarcoma Simulating as Pulmonary Thromboembolism

Pulmonary intimal sarcoma (PAS) is a highly aggressive malignant mesenchymal tumor affecting the central pulmonary arteries. Similar clinical presentation and indeterminate laboratory parameters often result in misdiagnosis of this condition as pulmonary thromboembolism, which is a relatively common disease. Certain imaging features can however allow differentiation between these two diagnoses. We present one such case of PAS that was initially treated as pulmonary embolism; and briefly review the relevant imaging characteristics to avoid overlooking PAS especially in patients with an atypical clinical history for thromboembolism.