title: Asymptomatic right atrial leiomyosarcoma with tricuspid valve obstruction in a young female patient.
abstract: Primary cardiac leiomyosarcomas of the heart are rare tumors usually diagnosed post-mortem. Like other sarcomas located in the heart, it causes symptoms by obstruction or occlusion of cardiac cavities, local invasion, embolization or by systemic manifestations. We present an unusual case of a previously healthy young female patient who was accidentally diagnosed with a cardiac tumor of unknown origin during routine physical examination in May 1997. Until a few days prior to elective cardiac surgery for diagnostic purposes in June 1997, no clinical symptoms were present. To our surprise, a primary right atrial leiomyosarcoma was found which almost completely occluded the right atrium and destroyed the tricuspid valve. Despite the combination of surgical removal and adjuvant chemotherapy the patient died 3 weeks after the operation due to progressive tumor disease and development of congestive heart failure and lung embolism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich, Klinikum Grosshadern, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kornberg
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Wildhirt
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kreuzer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Reichart
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007890:Leiomyosarcoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D014261:Tricuspid Valve