Cor Vasa 2011, 53(12):722-725 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2011.177

Right atrial angiosarcoma

Lukáš Handl^1,*, Milan Hromádka², Tomáš Hájek¹, Jan Bulka³, Petr Mukenšnábl⁴, Jan Filipovský⁵

¹ Kardiochirurgické oddělení, Fakultní nemocnice Plzeň, Plzeň-Lochotín

² Kardiologické oddělení, Fakultní nemocnice Plzeň, Plzeň-Lochotín

³ Radiodiagnostické oddělení, Fakultní nemocnice Plzeň, Plzeň-Bory

⁴ Šiklův patologicko-anatomický ústav, Fakultní nemocnice Plzeň, Plzeň-Bory

⁵ II. interní klinika, Fakultní nemocnice Plzeň, Plzeň-Bory, Česká republika

Heart tumors represent a relatively rare but serious group of cardiovascular disorders with late development of a wide scale of symptoms, the correct and timely diagnosis of which is still challenging. Malignant heart tumors are usually located in right-sided heart cavities but their incidence is very low. We describe a case of right atrial angiosarcoma, manifesting initially with a dyspnea and syncope during cardiac tamponade. After an emergent surgical procedure and favorable postoperative development, the patient underwent adjuvant chemotherapy. He has been clinically stabilized and symptom-free for 8 months, followed by disease recurrence with metastatic involvement of the right lung, liver, pericardium and lymph nodes leading to his death. We offer a description of a complete typical course of a rare oncologic disease with a cardiac symptomatology, notable especially for its differential diagnostic aspects.

Keywords: Angiosarcoma; Malignant heart tumors; Right atrial; Cardiac tamponade; Syncope; Chemotherapy

Published: December 1, 2011  Show citation