title: Atrial metastasis detected by two-dimensional echocardiography.
abstract: With recent improvements in therapeutic procedures and prolongation of survival, the incidence of cardiac metastasis is likely to increase. The aim of the current study was retrospectively to analyze cases of atrial metastases detected by echocardiography at our center. We report on a series of 10 patients with various solid malignancies and secondary atrial involvement detected by echocardiography. Transesophageal and transthoracic echocardiographic studies were performed using an Acuson 128XP, Aspen or Sequoia (Mountain View CA). Seven patients had cardiac symptoms at the time of diagnosis of atrial metastasis. After diagnosis, therapy included surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Echocardiography was also used in monitoring response to therapy. One patient with Wilms' tumor has remained free of disease for 50+ months and a patient with Kaposi's sarcoma is alive with disease 20+ months after diagnosis. The remaining eight patients died with disease 3-24 months after being diagnosed with atrial metastasis. Atrial metastases can be diagnosed in patients without cardiac symptoms, and is probably more prevalent than was previously recognized. Echocardiography is a useful diagnostic tool in detecting secondary atrial tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology Rambam Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. g_barsela@rambam.health.gov.il
authors.forename: Gil
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bar-Sela
authors.forename: Myriam Weyl Ben
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Arush
authors.forename: Shimon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reisner
authors.forename: Avraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lorber
authors.forename: Nissim
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Haim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000556:secondary*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017678:Sex Distribution; D016019:Survival Analysis