Primary pulmonary pleomorphic liposarcoma found with a massive hemothorax

Abstract

Abstract Background Pleomorphic liposarcoma (PLPS) is a rare and aggressive subtype of liposarcoma. Here we report the case of a 45-year-old man with PLPS in the lung, which was accompanied by a massive hemothorax. Case presentation The patient presented to hospital with chest pain. A chest x-ray showed massive right pleural effusion. We drained the right chest cavity of 1 L of blood and enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed a massive right hemothorax and a 78 × 70 mm mass in the right lower lung lobe. The tumor was ruptured and bleeding, so we performed right lower lobe resection. Pathological investigations revealed a PLPS. One month after surgery, positron emission tomography-CT showed considerable pleural dissemination in the right lung field. The patient died 3 months after surgery. Conclusions PLPS of the lung is rare, but requires attention because it can cause tumor rupture and hemothorax due to rapid tumor growth, and which may make complete resection of tumor difficult or necessitate emergency surgery.