Tamponade as the clinical onset of a cardiac angiosarcoma
Rodriguez-Vera, F.J.; Sobrino-Márquez, J.M.; García Moreno, J.M.; Colchero Fernández, J.
Revista Portuguesa de Cardiologia Orgao Oficial da Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia 19(3): 361-364
2000
ISSN/ISBN: 0870-2551 PMID: 10804782 Document Number: 515905
Primary tumors of the heart are usually benign, with the malignant forms being rare. In this article we report the case of an angiosarcoma with the only manifestation being a cardiac tamponade. When the patient being admitted to the hospital, an important differential diagnosis was pulmonary tumor. A mass in the right atrium was later detected in the echocardiogram. Further image studies, such as MRI, showed spectacular images of this mass suggestive of neoplasm. An intra-operatory biopsy diagnosed the mass as an angiosarcoma. Since there was no evidence of primary neoplasm in other studies carried out, the neoformation was diagnosed as a primary angiosarcoma. Surgery was carried out with a survival of only 13 months after the procedure. We also use this case to make a brief review of the primary tumors of the heart, especially angiosarcomas.