The bleeding heart: A case of cardiac angiosarcoma presenting with pulmonary hemorrhage and hemoptysis

TL;DR

A rare heart tumor caused lung bleeding in a 48-year-old man, showing the importance of considering this condition in similar cases.

Contribution

This case report adds to the limited literature on cardiac angiosarcoma and its presentation with pulmonary symptoms.

Findings

The patient presented with hemoptysis and pulmonary hemorrhage due to cardiac angiosarcoma.

The tumor originated from the heart and spread to the lungs.

The case emphasizes the need for awareness of this rare cancer in diagnostic evaluations.

Abstract

Primary cardiac angiosarcoma is an extremely rare and aggressive tumor that originates from the endothelial lining of cardiac blood vessels. We report a case of a 48-year-old man with history of military burn pit exposure, who presented with shortness of breath, cough, and hemoptysis. He was treated as a case of pneumonia, later he developed a diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage, and the etiology of his symptoms was found to be cardiac angiosarcoma with lung involvement. This case highlights the important clinical, radiological, and pathological characteristics of a rare cancer that commonly spreads to the lungs, urging healthcare providers to keep it in mind when diagnosing hemoptysis and pulmonary hemorrhage.

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