Intrapericardial primary thymic carcinoma in a 73-year-old man.
Thymic carcinoma is a rare, highly aggressive type of tumor that typically occurs in the anterior mediastinum. We describe the case of a 73-year-old man who presented with weakness, cough, dyspnea, anorexia, and weight loss. An echocardiogram showed an intrapericardial mass that occupied the space around the lateral walls of the left ventricle and distally compressed the right ventricle. Magnetic resonance imaging and a biopsy confirmed the presence of intrapericardial primary thymic carcinoma. The patient underwent surgical excision of the tumor and died of right ventricular rupture during the procedure. This case highlights the importance of considering thymic carcinoma whenever an otherwise unexplained intrapericardial mass is encountered.
Calderon
Ana Maria
AM
Department of Cardiology, Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
Merchan
Juan Andres
JA
Rozo
Juan Carlos
JC
Guerrero
Cesar Ivan
CI
Treistman
Bernardo
B
Sulak
Laura E
LE
Cheong
Benjamin Y C
BY
Rodríguez
German
G
Mesa
Andrés
A
D000368:Aged; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary*; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010496:Pericardium / Q000473:pathology; D013945:Thymoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D014463:Ultrasonography