Bin Waqar Syed Hamza, Adhikari Biplov, Salahi Navid, Ahmed Sara, Mirkarimi Sadafsadat
Internal Medicine, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences Center, New York, USA.
Internal Medicine, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, USA.
Cureus. 2022 Apr 4;14(4):e23821. doi: 10.7759/cureus.23821. eCollection 2022 Apr.
Primary pulmonary leiomyosarcomas (PPLs) are extremely rare tumors of the lungs. They can present with non-specific symptoms or can also be asymptomatic with clues towards diagnosis being found on routine examination or radiographs. We present a case of a 54-year-old woman who presented with worsening shortness of breath and spells of dizziness. Her chest radiographs showed right-sided pleural effusion and CT revealed a large enhancing pleural mass with compression atelectasis and mediastinal shift. She underwent a thoracoscopy and right pleural biopsy. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry were most consistent with leiomyosarcoma. An extensive search for a possible primary in other sites was unrevealing, thus diagnosing the patient with PPL. She was managed with surgery and radiotherapy.