title: A primary cardiac sarcoma presenting with superior vena cava obstruction.
abstract: Superior vena cava (SVC) obstruction leads to a constellation of symptoms and signs that encompass the SVC syndrome. Today, malignancy accounts for 65% of all cases. The most common neoplastic causes are non–small cell lung cancer (50%), small cell lung cancer (25%), lymphoma, and metastasis. Primary cardiac tumors are an extremely rare cause of SVC obstruction. We describe the case of a 48-year-old man who presented with dyspnea, confusion, and facial swelling with cyanosis. The patient developed life-threatening airway obstruction after administration of anxiolytic. The diagnosis of SVC obstruction secondary to a primary cardiac sarcoma was established based on clinical, radiologic, and post-mortem findings. This is one of very few reported cases of a primary cardiac sarcoma causing SVC obstruction.
authors.affiliation: ST4 in Emergency Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Aylesbury, UK. mtyed@yahoo.co.uk
authors.forename: Manish
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thakker
authors.forename: Tracey
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Keteepe-Arachi
authors.forename: Ausami
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abbas
authors.forename: Graham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ruparelia
authors.forename: Gearoid T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Kingston
authors.forename: Timothy J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Parke
mesh_terms: D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D013479:Superior Vena Cava Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed