Primary pleural angiosarcoma (PPA) is a rare and challenging tumour to diagnose, often mistaken for other malignancies such as mesothelioma and lung cancer due to overlapping clinical and imaging features. We report a 52-year-old woman who presented with progressive shortness of breath and pleuritic chest pain. Imaging studies and thoracentesis revealed a large haemorrhagic left pleural effusion. Medical thoracoscopy (MT) showed a thickened and lobulated parietal pleura with multiple nodular lesions. Histopathological examination confirmed a diagnosis of angiosarcoma, characterized by pleomorphic tumour cells, a high Ki67 proliferation index and positive immunohistochemical markers, including CD31, D2-40, Vimentin, and Factor VIII. Tragically, the patient developed a hospital-acquired infection and passed away before any definitive treatment for the angiosarcoma could be initiated. This case underscores the diagnostic complexities of PPA and highlights the utility of MT in identifying this rare malignancy.
A third of patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) develop pleural effusion during the disease course for various reasons. In most cases, lymphoma-related pleural effusion is a manifestation of widespread systemic disease, signifying a high tumour burden and therefore, a poorer prognosis. On the other hand, primary pleural lymphomas (PPLs) exhibit exclusive or dominant involvement of serous cavities, without detectable solid tumour masses. PPL is an uncommon disease and is of two types: primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma associated with chronic inflammation (DLBCL-CI). PPLs not related to PELs and DLBCL-CIs are exceedingly rare. Herein, we describe four patients with biopsy proven B-cell NHL. One had no extra-pleural involvement at the time of diagnosis, indicating PPL. In all cases, histopathological examination of pleural biopsies obtained via medical thoracoscopy (MT) were crucial in clinching the final diagnosis. Clinicians are alerted to the potential relationship between exudative effusion and NHL as well as the role of MT in the diagnosis of B-cell NHL.