1/5. reproduction of features of the glucagonoma syndrome with continuous intravenous glucagon infusion as therapy for tumor-induced hypoglycemia.OBJECTIVE: To describe the adverse effects of continuous intravenous infusion of glucagon as therapy for tumor-induced hypoglycemia and to correlate these treatment-related effects with symptoms of endogenous hyper-glucagonemia. methods: We reviewed three cases in which patients received continuous glucagon therapy for tumor-induced hypoglycemia and experienced adverse side effects to the treatment. We noted that these adverse events were consistent with changes that are described in the literature as symptoms of the glucagonoma syndrome. RESULTS: Continuous intravenous glucagon infusion has evolved as a reliable and efficacious modality for the treatment of tumor-induced hypoglycemia. We report the adverse events of venous thromboembolism, necrolytic migratory erythema, and angular cheilitis in conjunction with continuous intravenous glucagon treatment. These complications resemble symptoms that characterize the human model of hyperglucagonemia--the glucagonoma syndrome--which is associated with hyperglucagonemia and alpha-islet cell neoplasms of the pancreas. CONCLUSION: Symptoms that characterize the islet cell neoplasm-related glucagonoma syndrome may develop in patients receiving an infusion of exogenous glucagon. This observation lends support to the suggestion that glucagon may have a direct, causative role.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = thromboembolism (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/5. A case of pulmonary artery intimal sarcoma diagnosed with multislice CT scan with 3D reconstruction.pulmonary artery intimal sarcoma is a rare highly lethal disease, with additional retrograde extension to pulmonic valve and right ventricle being an extremely rare condition. It is frequently mistaken for pulmonary thromboembolism. We report a case of 64-year-old woman with progressive dyspnea initially suspected and treated for pulmonary thromboembolism. Her helical chest CT scan with 3 dimensional (3D) reconstruction combined with echocardiography revealed a compacting main pulmonary artery mass extending to the right ventricular outflow tract and the right pulmonary artery. After excision of the mass, the patient's condition improved dramatically, and the pathologic findings revealed pulmonary intimal sarcoma. This report emphasizes that helical chest CT with 3D reconstruction can be an important tool to differentiate the characteristics of pulmonary artery lesions, such as intimal sarcoma and thromboembolism.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 3keywords = thromboembolism (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/5. Undifferentiated sarcoma of the pulmonary artery mimicking pulmonary thromboembolic disease.Primary pulmonary artery sarcoma is an uncommon tumor. Mandelstamm in 1923 was the first to describe the disease in an autopsy. Since then, less than 200 cases were reported. The incidence is 0.001-0.03%, they are always highly malignant sarcoma, and women are involved twice as often as men. The presentation is often cough, dyspnea, and chest pain, and patients are usually diagnosed as suffering from pulmonary emboli, and primary tumor of the pulmonary artery is not usually considered in the differential diagnosis. The diagnosis of pulmonary artery sarcoma is made of the "clot" resected during pulmonary artery thrombendarterectomy. Our suggestion is that in patients with unilateral pulmonary artery occlusive disease, no evidence of positive hypercoagulability tests, and no history of thromboembolism, a high suspicion of pulmonary artery sarcoma should be kept in mind, and an angiographic-guided biopsy from the intra-arterial occlusive material should be considered. The treatment is surgery. The survival without operation is less than 2 months. Some patients were treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. We report on a woman with undifferentiated sarcoma of the pulmonary artery, mimicking chronic pulmonary artery emboli. This case illustrates the need to consider malignancy in the differential diagnosis of patients having pulmonary emboli.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = thromboembolism (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/5. Primary pulmonary artery sarcoma mimicking pulmonary thromboembolism.A 69-year-old woman presenting with dyspnea had a pericardial window created for fibrinous pericarditis. The patient subsequently developed pulmonary hypertension and a ventilation perfusion scan was compatible with pulmonary thromboembolism. A primary tumour of the pulmonary artery was suggested by angiography, computerized axial tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. pathology confirmed a spindle cell pulmonary artery sarcoma.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 5keywords = thromboembolism (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/5. pulmonary artery sarcoma mimicking chronic thromboembolic disease: computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging findings.PURPOSE. The diagnosis of the rare primary malignant tumors of the pulmonary arteries is often delayed as symptoms are nonspecific. methods. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of three patients with occlusion of the right pulmonary artery, two with sarcoma and one with chronic thromboembolic disease were analyzed for discriminating diagnostic criteria. RESULTS. Criteria suggesting pulmonary artery sarcoma are inhomogeneous high or low attenuation (hemorrhage, necrosis), soft-tissue density in pulmonary arteries, vascular distension, enhancement after administration of gadopentetate dimeglumine. Criteria for chronic thromboembolic disease are homogeneous soft-tissue lesions, abrupt vascular narrowings and cut-offs, as well as regional parenchymal hyperdensities. CONCLUSION. CT and MRI provide complementary findings suggesting advanced pulmonary artery sarcoma instead of chronic thromboembolism.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = thromboembolism (Clic here for more details about this article) |