title: Malignant thymoma as etiology of bilateral, biventricular cardiac failure.
abstract: The authors report on a case of a 60-year-old female admitted to hospital with symptoms of bilateral cardiac failure. Upon ultrasonic examination of the heart, a massive pericardial exudate was diagnosed. Pericardial drainage was done to find the cause of pericardial effusion. Cells of malignant lymphoma were detected cytologically while immunophenotypization demonstrated a malignant lymphoma exudate. A computed tomography (CT) examination of the thorax disclosed a mediastinal tumour with infiltration of both lungs, vascular structures and dissemination on the chest wall. A CT-guided tumour biopsy was performed to confirm or exclude a lymphoproliferative process. Histopathologically, an invasive cortical thymoma was verified. The tumour was evaluated as stage III thymoma according to Masaoka. This case report highlights a rare malignant thymoma, its clinical symptoms, diagnosis, therapy and prognosis (Fig. 2, Ref. 10).
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology and Radiotherapy, Charles University Hospital and Faculty ofMedicine, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. peterpriester@seznam.cz
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Priester
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kopecky
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Slovacek
mesh_terms: D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000209:etiology; D013945:Thymoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology