Leiomyosarcoma of the pulmonary artery masquerading as disseminated tuberculosis

Leiomyosarcoma is a rare malignancy with a poor prognosis. It is however one of the commonest pulmonary artery sarcomas and arises from pleuripotent cells found in the intima of the vessel. Its presentation often mimics other conditions such as pulmonary embolism causing a delay in diagnosis.

This article describes a unique case of leiomyosarcoma of the pulmonary artery presenting as progressive cavitating lung disease with multi-level vertebral deposits. A presumptive diagnosis of tuberculosis had previously been made with apparent improvement following treatment. However, despite extensive investigation, attempts to secure a tissue diagnosis were unsuccessful and this was made only after post-mortem examination.