Primary cardiac angiosarcoma: a case report

    Authors

    Keywords

    angiosarcoma, transthoracic, transesophageal, echocardiography, magnetic resonance

    DOI

    https://doi.org/10.15836/ccar2016.535

    Full Text

    **Introduction:** Primary angiosarcoma of the heart is an extremely rare malignant disease. Angiosarcoma of the heart, the most common primary malignant cardiac tumour, is known to carry a dismal prognosis in adults. Diagnosis is often delayed because of its nonspecific clinical presentation. Symptoms appear depending on the size and location of the tumor. Echocardiography has become the primary diagnostic technique because of its high degree of accuracy, non-invasiveness, and cost-effectiveness. Complete surgical resection is required for improved survival rates. Conventional postoperative chemotherapy or radiotherapy does not appear to modify the clinical course. (1-3) **Case report:** We present a case of 47-year-old male patient with primary cardiac angiosarcoma. He presented with palpitations, shortness of breath and hemoptysis. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiograms verified the presence of with a 4.0 × 5.4 cm intracavitary mass arising in the right atrium and passing through the tricuspid valve. Magnetic resonance scanning showed that the cardiac tumor arose from the right atrium and had infiltraded both the epicardium and endocardium. Because of its extended growth, partial resection of the tumor was preformed with patch plastic in the right atrrium. The histology findings indicated primary angiosarcoma. **Summary:** This case highlights the difficulties in both the early diagnosis and the management of patients with cardiac angiosarcoma..

    Literature

    1. Agaimy A. Rösch J, Weyand M, Strecker T. Primary and metastatic cardiac sarcomas: a 12-year experience at a German heart center. Int J Clin Exp Pathol. 2012;5(9):928–38. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23119110/
    2. Patel SD, Peterson A, Bartczak A, Lee S, Chojonowski S, Gajewski P, et al. Primary cardiac angiosarcoma-a rewiew. Med Sci Monit. 2014;20:103–9. https://doi.org/10.12659/MSM.889875
    3. Tang K, Shang QL, Zhou QC, Zhou JW, She XL, Zhang M. Primary cardiac angiosarcoma with spontaneus ruptures of the right atrium and right conorary artery. Echocardiography. 2013;30(6):E156–60. https://doi.org/10.1111/echo.12176
    Cardiologia Croatica
    Back to search

    Primary cardiac angiosarcoma: a case report

    Extended Abstract
    Issue10-11
    Published
    Pages535
    PDF via DOIhttps://doi.org/10.15836/ccar2016.535
    angiosarcoma
    transthoracic
    transesophageal
    echocardiography
    magnetic resonance

    Authors

    Diana RudanORCIDUniversity Hospital Dubrava, Zagreb, Croatia
    Željko SutlićORCIDUniversity Hospital Dubrava, Zagreb, Croatia
    Boris StarčevićORCIDUniversity Hospital Dubrava, Zagreb, Croatia
    Mario UdovičićORCIDUniversity Hospital Dubrava, Zagreb, Croatia
    Sandra Jakšić-JurinjakORCIDUniversity Hospital Dubrava, Zagreb, Croatia
    Petra Vitlov*ORCIDUniversity Hospital Dubrava, Zagreb, Croatia

    *Correspondence email: petra.vitlov@gmail.com

    Full Text

    Introduction: Primary angiosarcoma of the heart is an extremely rare malignant disease. Angiosarcoma of the heart, the most common primary malignant cardiac tumour, is known to carry a dismal prognosis in adults. Diagnosis is often delayed because of its nonspecific clinical presentation. Symptoms appear depending on the size and location of the tumor. Echocardiography has become the primary diagnostic technique because of its high degree of accuracy, non-invasiveness, and cost-effectiveness. Complete surgical resection is required for improved survival rates. Conventional postoperative chemotherapy or radiotherapy does not appear to modify the clinical course. (1–3)

    Case report: We present a case of 47-year-old male patient with primary cardiac angiosarcoma. He presented with palpitations, shortness of breath and hemoptysis. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiograms verified the presence of with a 4.0 × 5.4 cm intracavitary mass arising in the right atrium and passing through the tricuspid valve. Magnetic resonance scanning showed that the cardiac tumor arose from the right atrium and had infiltraded both the epicardium and endocardium. Because of its extended growth, partial resection of the tumor was preformed with patch plastic in the right atrrium. The histology findings indicated primary angiosarcoma.

    Summary: This case highlights the difficulties in both the early diagnosis and the management of patients with cardiac angiosarcoma..

    Literature

    1. 1.
      Agaimy A. Rösch J, Weyand M, Strecker T. Primary and metastatic cardiac sarcomas: a 12-year experience at a German heart center. Int J Clin Exp Pathol. 2012;5(9):928–38.PubMed
    2. 2.
      Patel SD, Peterson A, Bartczak A, Lee S, Chojonowski S, Gajewski P, et al. Primary cardiac angiosarcoma-a rewiew. Med Sci Monit. 2014;20:103–9.DOI
    3. 3.
      Tang K, Shang QL, Zhou QC, Zhou JW, She XL, Zhang M. Primary cardiac angiosarcoma with spontaneus ruptures of the right atrium and right conorary artery. Echocardiography. 2013;30(6):E156–60.DOI