title: Hepatocellular carcinoma with invasion into the right atrium. Report of two cases and review of the literature.
abstract: We report two rare cases of hepatocellular carcinoma with invasion into the right atrium. In both our cases, the patients had liver cirrhosis and were admitted to our department due to symptoms such as worsening of the jaundice, ascites and edema of the lower extremities. The diagnosis of the HCC was established when we found high levels of alpha-fetoprotein, and the patients underwent MRI and CT-scan that were indicative of HCC. The clinical suspicion of invasion of the RA by the tumor emerged from the presence of heart-related symptoms, such as dyspnea and chest discomfort. The patients underwent two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiogram, which revealed from the sub-costal view a mobile atrial mass protruding from the inferior vena cava. In conclusion, when a patient with a history of chronic hepatic disease presents with symptoms of right heart failure one must be cautious and should bear in mind that right heart involvement from a malignant tumor may be present.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Western Attica General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Agelopoulou
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kapatais
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Varounis
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grassos
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kalkandi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kouris
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pierakeas
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Babalis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000473:pathology; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins