Primary cardiac tumors: a clinicopathologic evaluation of four cases.
BACKGROUND
We report the clinical, pathological, and immunohistochemical features of four primary malignant cardiac tumors identified at the Department of Pathology, Rigshospitalet, Denmark. A panel of immunohistochemical markers for classification is proposed.


METHODS
Between 2000 and 2008, four patients with malignant cardiac tumors were treated at our hospital. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and evaluated the patient characteristics and treatment.


RESULTS
Three patients presented with severe dyspnea; one patient presented with chest pain. Transthoracic echocardiography demonstrated, in all four cases, abnormal masses in the atria. The cases were, based on morphological features and immunoprofile, classified as myogenic sarcoma (two cases), undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma, and leiomyosarcoma. Three of the patients received orthotopic heart transplantation. One patient survived 6.5 years after the diagnosis, and two patients are still alive 2 and 3 years after being diagnosed, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
All four cases were sarcomas. A limited number of immunohistochemical markers can be used in order to define a specific line of differentiation. In this small study, three of the patients were offered orthotopic heart transplantation, and the survival times were generally longer than in most series.
Winther
Charlotte
C
Department of Pathology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark. charlottewinther@dadlnet.dk
Timmermans-Wielenga
Vera
V
Daugaard
Søren
S
Mortensen
Svend Aage
SA
Sander
Kåre
K
Andersen
Claus B
CB
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007890:Leiomyosarcoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery
D015415:Biomarkers