Cardiac metastasis from primary anaplastic thyroid carcinoma: report of three cases and a review of the literature.
BACKGROUND
Clinically evident cardiac metastases from malignant neoplasms are uncommon. The frequency of thyroid metastasis to the heart is very low. To our knowledge, over the last 20 years only a few cases have been reported in the entire literature. Metastatic cardiac involvement occurs most often during the terminal stage.


METHODS
We present three cases of anaplastic thyroid cancer with metastatic involvement of the heart.


RESULTS
Two of the patients died from cardiac problems. The absence of early symptoms makes the clinical diagnosis of metastatic carcinoma difficult.


CONCLUSIONS
Anaplastic thyroid cancer is an aggressive cancer with a dismal prognosis. It should be borne in mind as a source of cardiac metastasis and a cause of cardiac death.
Giuffrida
D
D
Division of Medical Oncology, Ospedale San Luigi, Az. Osp. 'Garibaldi', Catania, Italy.
Gharib
H
H
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*