Intractable obstructive shock as a result of isolated cardiac metastases: a case report.
Cardiac metastases are uncommon and difficult to diagnose clinically; thus, they are most often found only at autopsy. Here we present a case of isolated right atrial cardiac metastasis found 7 weeks after the resection of the primary tumor, which was an adenocarcinoma of the lung. The patient presented with intractable obstructive shock, caused by a ball-valve effect of the atrial lesion that prevented forward blood flow from the right atrium. Computed tomography (CT) scans and echocardiograms failed to detect the lesion, and the patient died 2 weeks later. An autopsy revealed a large, isolated right atrial metastatic adenocarcinoma.
Mailapur
R
R
Department of Surgery, Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, New York 10457, USA.
Khaneja
S C
SC
Schein
M
M
Gerst
P H
PH
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary*; D000368:Aged; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology; D012769:Shock / Q000209:etiology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed