Pulmonary Tumor Thrombotic Microangiopathy Caused by a Parotid Tumor: Early Antemortem Diagnosis and Long-term Survival

Intern Med. 2017;56(1):67-71. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.56.7439. Epub 2017 Jan 1.

Abstract

Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy (PTTM) is a high-mortality disease that is difficult to diagnose clinically. Our patient was an 80-year-old woman who came to us due to symptoms of increasing dyspnea. A clinical evaluation showed that she had hypoxemia and pulmonary arterial hypertension without any abnormalities in the major pulmonary arteries, bronchi, or alveoli. A lung perfusion scan showed multiple wedge-shaped perfusion defects. Further examination revealed adenocarcinoma in her right parotid gland with metastasis to the submandibular lymph nodes. We diagnosed her to have PTTM caused by a parotid tumor. The patient survived for 11 months with chemotherapy. An early antemortem diagnosis by minimally invasive examinations will help PTTM patients to survive longer.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / complications
  • Adenocarcinoma / diagnosis*
  • Adenocarcinoma / drug therapy*
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Autopsy
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / pathology
  • Parotid Gland / pathology
  • Thrombotic Microangiopathies / diagnosis*
  • Thrombotic Microangiopathies / drug therapy*
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents