Solitary cardiac metastasis is rarely recognized. We report a case of solitary cardiac metastasis from a rectal adenocarcinoma that was manifested as superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome. Invasion of the deep cardiac structures was so severe that only its palliative resection and right atrial reconstruction were performed using a cardiopulmonary bypass to release the SVC obstruction. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged home without any complications. Adjuvant chemotherapy could not be performed because of the renal dysfunction. Eleven months later, the patient died from multiple metastasis of adenocarcinoma. Even though the surgery was not curative, it might be effective for release from symptoms and for elongating life expectancy.
Multiple myxomas in the ventricles, causing pulmonary obstruction, are extremely uncommon. We treated multiple myxomas, seemingly clinically malignant, which had caused acute right heart failure due to their position in the outlet of the right ventricle. The position of the myxomas obstructed the pulmonary artery. To prevent the right heart from failing, we proceeded with tumor resection with the cardiopulmonary bypass on a beating heart and added cryoablation. Following the removal of the tumor, symptoms improved drastically. The postoperative course was uneventful.
We encountered two brothers with a combination of Barlow's disease and bilateral axillary artery aneurysms who were operated on during their third decade of life. A symmetrical form of true bilateral axillary artery aneurysms is uncommon. Recurrent mitral regurgitation was presented in the older brother with an endocardial defect in the left atrium, suggesting connective tissue fragility. A hereditary connective tissue disorder was strongly suspected because of the similar presentation and an unusual cluster of pathologies in siblings. Careful follow-up is required to detect recurrence of mitral regurgitation or aneurysm formation in other vessels.
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