Cardiac Angiosarcoma

Abstract

Despite cardiac metastases are found in about 20% of cancer deaths, the presence of primary cardiac tumors is rare. Most primary tumors are benign, and malignant tumors comprise about 15%. We report a 21-year-old man with fever, dyspnea, and hemoptysis that was diagnosed with angiosarcoma of the right atrium and pulmonary metastasis. Patient was submitted to surgical tumor resection without adjuvant therapy and died four months after diagnosis.

A rare cause of dyspnea: left atrial angiosarcoma

“…The incidence of primary cardiac sarcoma is approximately 0.0001% in autopsy series, which is extremely low. The most common form of sarcoma is angiosarcoma, which primarily originates from the right atrium (3-5). Although the right atrium is the most common site for an angiosarcoma, the left atrium, right ventricle and left ventricle have also been reported (5).…”

“…The most common form of sarcoma is angiosarcoma, which primarily originates from the right atrium (3-5). Although the right atrium is the most common site for an angiosarcoma, the left atrium, right ventricle and left ventricle have also been reported (5). Associated symptoms are nonspecific and generally delayed depending on the involved chamber and until the tumor reaches a certain size.…”

“…Associated symptoms are nonspecific and generally delayed depending on the involved chamber and until the tumor reaches a certain size. The most frequent symptoms are dyspnea, chest pain, right heart failure, palpitation, and fever (5). As in our case, diagnosis is made on the basis of the pathology of the surgical specimen (6).…”

“…Recently, a second-line regimen with docetaxel or paclitaxel has been defined. Irradiation is recommended for prevention and management of residual tumor, but the curative dosage is generally similar to the cardiotoxic dose (5, 7). Due to its aggressive nature with increased risk of recurrence and metastasis, the expected survival is unfavorable, usually 6–12 months from the time of diagnosis (3, 4, 6).…”

Cardiac angiosarcoma: A case report and review of the literature

“…In adult autopsy series, primary cardiac tumors occur at a frequency of 0.001–0.03%, of which 15–25% are malignant 1–5 . Among primary malignant cardiac tumors, 95% are sarcomas including angiosarcoma, undifferentiated sarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma, while the remaining 5% consist of primary lymphoma and mesothelioma 6,7 .…”