title: Huge biatrial primary cardiac B-cell lymphoma resulting in bilateral atrioventricular valve obstruction.
abstract: We report the case of a 48-year-old man with a clinical syndrome caused by both pulmonary and systemic venous congestion. Echocardiography indicated a huge tumor occupying both dilated atria almost completely, seeming to invade from the atrial septum. A test for HIV was negative. Our primary diagnosis was a biatrial myxoma. Urgent surgery was performed disclosing large cell B-cell primary cardiac lymphoma. The patient died 8 days later. Primary cardiac lymphoma is extremely rare in immunocompetent patients. Its rarity and heterogenous clinical presentation make diagnosis difficult. As tissue characterization is still beyond the capabilities of currently available echocardiography, a combination of examinations are indicated, when the clinical condition is relatively stable, in order to reach the exact diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Critical Care and Pulmonary Services, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece. ezakynth@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Epaminondas
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zakynthinos
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tassopoulos
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Haritos
authors.forename: Panagiota
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kitsanta
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pyros
authors.forename: Charis
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roussos
authors.forename: Spyros A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Papiris
mesh_terms: D004452:Echocardiography; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006327:Heart Block / Q000209:etiology*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000276:immunology; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009232:Myxoma / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors