European Journal of Echocardiography Advance Access originally published online on March 12, 2007
European Journal of Echocardiography 2008 9(3):391-392; doi:10.1016/j.euje.2006.12.008
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Multiple cardiac metastases from a malignant melanoma
Cardiology Department, Hippokration Hospital, 114 Vas. Sofias Street, 11527 Athens, Greece
Received 11 November 2006; accepted after revision 15 December 2006; online publish-ahead-of-print 12 March 2007.
* Corresponding author. Tel: +30 69 3693 8650; fax: +30 21 0653 2499. E-mail addresses: dimchrissos{at}panarkadiko.gr (D.N. Chrissos), drpavlos{at}hotmail.com (P.N. Stougiannos), dimitris_mytas{at}hotmail.com, d.mitas{at}yahoo.gr (D.Z. Mytas), katshome{at}otenet.gr (A.A. Katsaros), andrikop{at}hotmail.com (G.K. Andrikopoulos), karddep{at}hippocratio.gr (I.E. Kallikazaros).
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Abstract |
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Metastatic tumors in the pericardium or the heart are more common than primary tumors and their incidence has increased during the last decades due to the prolonged survival of patients with cancer and the increased prevalence of the disease in the general population. We present the case of a 36-year-old patient admitted to our hospital due to fatigue, dyspnea, and episodes of dizziness and fainting during the last month. He had a history of a malignant skin melanoma surgically removed 4 years ago. The echo study identified multiple metastases in the heart involving the pericardium, the myocardium and the right atrium, where the tumor was mobile creating mechanical tricuspid valve stenosis. Malignant metastasis was confirmed by pericardiocentesis and, although treatment with chemotherapy was promptly initiated, the patient died 4 months later. Despite the difficulty in clinical diagnosis of cardiac melanoma, early detection has important therapeutic and prognostic implications. Echocardiography is the most common diagnostic modality and transesophageal approach may be the technique of choice to image intracardiac metastatic tumors.
Keywords: Melanoma; Heart metastases; Echocardiography
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