Cardiac angiosarcoma--a diagnostic dilemma.
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.
Klima
U
U
I. Surgical Department, AKH Linz, Austria.
Wimmer-Greinecker
G
G
Harringer
W
W
Mair
R
R
Gross
C
C
Brücke
P
P
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