title: Primary left atrial leiomyosarcoma simulating pulmonary thromboembolism.
abstract: The authors describe a patient with primary left atrial leiomyosarcoma extending into the right pulmonary veins. The initial presentation and ventilation-perfusion scanning suggested pulmonary thromboembolism. The results of transthoracic echocardiography were nondiagnostic, and the diagnosis was eventually made on the basis of computed tomography (CT) and transesophageal echocardiography findings. The diagnosis was confirmed at surgery. This case demonstrates the complementary roles of CT and transesophageal echocardiography in the evaluation of intracardiac masses when transthoracic echocardiography is nondiagnostic. It also illustrates that cardiac tumours may present with nonspecific symptoms that mimic those of other disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Queen's University, Kingston, Ont.
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mak
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Sanfilippo
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Rosen
authors.forename: F D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Cheeseman
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007890:Leiomyosarcoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin; D016284:Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014692:Ventilation-Perfusion Ratio
chemical_list: D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin; D016284:Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate