Composite haemangioendothelioma in the heart: a case report

Abstract

Background Primary cardiac neoplasm is rare and generally benign. Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, a potentially malignant tumor of vascular origin, has been occasionally described in the heart. Composite hemangioendothelioma, characterized by a heterogeneous architecture of vascular components and usually located in soft tissue of the extremities, has only been reported twice in the heart. We herein report another case of this extremely uncommon cardiac tumor. Case summary Comprehensive cardiac examination of a 59-year-old female patient with palpitations and personal history of Hodgkin’s lymphoma and chest radiation revealed a mass in the left atrium. After surgical resection, histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis identified a composite hemangioendothelioma. After two years, repeated imaging revealed neither signs of local relapse nor metastasis. Conclusions Composite hemangioendothelioma, a very uncommon form of potentially malignant vascular tumor, can also be encountered in the heart. In this present case, the outcome was favorable two years after surgical resection without adjuvant therapy.