title: Metastatic melanoma to the heart.
abstract: Melanoma is a common neoplasm with a propensity to metastasize to the heart. Although cardiac metastasis is rarely diagnosed ante mortem, using a multimodality approach, several imaging findings may be seen. Echocardiography is often the initial imaging method used to detect cardiac metastases and their complications. On computed tomography, intraluminal filling defects and myocardial/pericardial nodules may be seen. On magnetic resonance imaging, metastatic melanoma is classically hyperintense on T1 images and hypointense on T2 images, a result of the T1 shortening of melanin; however, this is seen in a minority of cases. As melanoma metastases are fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose avid, fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography may also be used to detect cardiac metastases.
authors: Department of Radiology, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston Salem, NC 27157, USA. bcallen2@wakehealth.edu
authors: Brian C
authors: BC
authors: Allen
authors: Tan Lucien
authors: TL
authors: Mohammed
authors: Carmela D
authors: CD
authors: Tan
authors: Dylan V
authors: DV
authors: Miller
authors: Eric E
authors: EE
authors: Williamson
authors: Jacobo S
authors: JS
authors: Kirsch
mesh_terms: D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18