Authors
- Diana Rudan — University Hospital Dubrava, Zagreb, Croatia — ORCID: 0000-0001-9473-2517
- Željko Sutlić — University Hospital Dubrava, Zagreb, Croatia — ORCID: 0000-0001-6926-9436
- Boris Starčević — University Hospital Dubrava, Zagreb, Croatia — ORCID: 0000-0002-3090-2772
- Mario Udovičić — University Hospital Dubrava, Zagreb, Croatia — ORCID: 0000-0001-9912-2179
- Sandra Jakšić-Jurinjak — University Hospital Dubrava, Zagreb, Croatia — ORCID: 0000-0002-7349-6137
- Petra Vitlov — University Hospital Dubrava, Zagreb, Croatia — ORCID: 0000-0001-6983-1409
Keywords
angiosarcoma, transthoracic, transesophageal, echocardiography, magnetic resonance
DOI
https://doi.org/10.15836/ccar2016.535Full 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..
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