Angiosarcoma of the right atrium. Presentation of a surgically treated case and comparison with data of the literature
Benyass, A.; Boulahya, A.; Aithoussa, M.; Elbekali, A.; Siah, S.; Hda, A.; Boukili, M.A.; Taobane, H.; Benomar, S.; Elkirat, A.
Annales de Cardiologie et d'Angeiologie 46(10): 674-678
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 0003-3928 PMID: 9587434 Document Number: 473202
The authors report the case of a 28-year-old woman referred to their department by a respiratory medicine department with an inferior mediastinal tumour arising from the right atrium, presenting in the form of dysponea, dry cough and chest pain associated with a general syndrome composed of fever, weight loss and physical asthenia. Physical examination revealed a superior vena cava syndrome, the electrocardiogram showed diffuse repolarization disorders and the chest x-ray showed an opacity of the anterior and inferior mediastinum. The diagnosis of tumour of the right atrium was based on echocardiography and thoracic CT scan. Subtotal surgical resection under cardiopulmonary bypass allowed examination of the histological type of the tumour. After routine chemotherapy, despite negative secondary staging and a favourable immediate course, the patient died 11 months after the operation in a context of local recurrence and hepatic and bone metastases.