Primary aortic sarcoma with widespread vascular embolic metastases.

Abstract

Intimal sarcoma of the aorta is a rare and aggressive mesenchymal neoplasm with a propensity to metastasize and to embolize distant arteries. The diagnosis is most commonly made by autopsy or after surgery for an aortic aneurysm. Surgery is the treatment of choice in patients who do not have metastatic disease. The prognosis is generally poor, with death resulting in most patients within a few months from diagnosis. We describe a rare case of intimal sarcoma of the aorta that showed simultaneous involvement of the thoracic and abdominal aorta and also widespread embolic metastases to the main large vessels of the brain, heart, liver, kidneys, and spleen.