title: Primary undifferentiated sarcoma of the mitral and aortic valves.
abstract: Although sarcomas are the most frequent primary malignant tumor of the heart, they very rarely involve only the left heart valves. A 72-year-old woman was diagnosed with a severe mitral valve disease and referred for cardiac surgery. Preoperative transthoracic echocardiography revealed a cardiac mass involving the mitral and aortic valves. The aortic valve had an unusual appearance, with a cystic mass protruding to the left ventricular outflow tract. The mitral valve apparatus was also involved, with chordal rupture. Extended resection and dual valve replacement was performed. A histological examination revealed an undifferentiated sarcoma. Postoperatively, neither chemotherapy nor radiotherapy therapy was used. Although most patients may benefit from adjunctive therapy, some respond well in the short term with only surgical resection, despite the poor prognosis of this rare entity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Santa Marta Hospital, Lisbon, Portugal. nebursomar79@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Ruben B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: Luísa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Branco
authors.forename: Ana I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Galrinho
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.forename: Mário F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fragata
authors.forename: Rui C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome