title: Cardiac angiosarcoma--a diagnostic dilemma.
abstract: A 25-year-old man suffering from sudden onset of haemoptysis after 1 week of orthopnoea, fatigue and general weakness was admitted to a cardiology department in Vienna. No diagnosis was made. Four weeks later cardiopulmonary resuscitation and pericardiocentesis were necessary because of cardiac tamponade. Although all modern imaging procedures were performed, a diagnosis of rapidly progressive primary cardiac angiosarcoma could not be established. Definitive diagnosis was established only after exploratory median sternotomy. The patient exhibited no response to chemotherapy. He died 5 days after surgery as a result of respiratory failure.
authors.affiliation: I. Surgical Department, AKH Linz, Austria.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Klima
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wimmer-Greinecker
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Harringer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mair
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brücke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004452:Echocardiography; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006394:Hemangiosarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010496:Pericardium / Q000637:transplantation; D010994:Pleura / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016066:Pleural Effusion, Malignant / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery