title: Surgical treatment of a primary cardiac lymphoma presenting with tamponade physiology.
abstract: Primary cardiac lymphomas (PCL) are rare cardiac neoplasms that carry an ominous prognosis. They occur more frequently in immunocompromised patients. We report on an immunocompetent 67-year-old who presented with dyspnea and dysphagia. Echocardiographic evidence of impending cardiac tamponade and obstruction of the inferior vena cava (IVC) with the tumor was seen. The deteriorating hemodynamics of our patient prompted an urgent surgical intervention. Pathohistological diagnosis showed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of centroblastic subtype. Chemotherapy remains the standard treatment of PCL, with surgery reserved for relieving life-threatening complications of the neoplasm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Zagreb, Kispaticeva 12, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gosev
authors.forename: Franjo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sirić
authors.forename: Hrvoje
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gasparović
authors.forename: Ranko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ugljen
authors.forename: Marin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nola
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jelić
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004452:Echocardiography; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male