Cor Vasa 2007, 49(10):373-377 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2007.131

Cardiac tumors

Peter Gergely¹, Ladislav Gergely², Igor Riečanský³, Gabriel Sojka¹, Ladislav Fábik², Peter Verchovodko⁴, Tomáš Minárik⁵, Vratislav Feit⁶

¹ Interné oddelenie, Nemocnica s poliklinikou Levice, n. o., Levice, Slovenská republika

² Interní oddělení, Nemocnice Písek a. s., Písek, Česká republika

³ Kardiologická klinika, Národný ústav srdcových a cievnych chorôb

⁴ Klinika srdcovej chirurgie

⁵ Národný onkologický ústav, Bratislava, Slovenská republika

⁶ Patologické oddělení, Nemocnice Písek a. s., Písek, Česká republika

Cardiac tumors (CTs) are divided into primary and secondary ones. Secondary CTs occur 20-40 times more often compared with primary CTs. The paper presents our two case reports of cardiac malignancy. The first case involved uterine cancer via intracavitary metastasis of the right ventricle recurring at 11 years after hysterectomy and radiotherapy. The second case was right atrial angiosarcoma. We find the cases noteworthy because of their diverse history, similar clinical presentation (embolism into the pulmonary vessel bed and dyspnea) and the much different outcome of the two female patients.
The patients were examined using available techniques, i.e., in addition to basic clinical examination and laboratory investigations, by transthoracic echocardiography, spiral CT, with histology being the last investigation in both.
Patient 1 - with recurrent uterine cancer via intracavitary metastasis, prompt diagnosis and cooperation with a cardiac surgeon, averted imminent threat to the patient s life; subsequently, she had six cycles of chemotherapy. Future therapeutic strategy and the patient s prognosis remain open.
Patient 2 - with right atrial angiosarcoma progressed into multiorgan failure over a couple of days to die within less than 10 days.
Case report 1 supports the notion that patients with the best prognosis are those with secondary CTs, in whom radical removal of the primary tumor is possible. Case report 2 documents the rapid course of angiosarcoma and the very grim prognosis.

Keywords: Cardiac tumors; Intracavitary metastasis; Angiosarcoma

Published: October 1, 2007  Show citation