title: Primary cardiac lymphoma--a case report.
abstract: Primary cardiac lymphoma, which is very rare, is generally regarded to have a poor prognosis. A case of a 69-year-old man with primary cardiac lymphoma diagnosed by antemortem examination is reported. A computed tomography scan of the chest demonstrated a huge right atrial mass with invasion into the other chambers. No mediastinal lymphadenopathy was detected. Cytologic analysis of pericardial effusion revealed diffuse large B-cell type non-Hodgkin malignant lymphoma. The patient died on the 18th day of chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, hydroxydaunomycin, oncovin, and prednisone) due to low-output syndrome and multiple organ failure. At autopsy, massive gray-white tumor almost occupied the right atrium and invaded the right inferior lobe of the lung. Although prognosis of primary cardiac lymphoma remains poor, early diagnosis may improve the prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Tohsei National Hospital, Shizuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saotome
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshitomi
authors.forename: Shunichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Morio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuramochi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011180:Postmortem Changes