title: Left atrial spindle cell sarcoma - case report.
abstract: Primary spindle cell sarcoma of the left atrium is an extremely rare tumour. Surgical excision is the mainstay of treatment since it responds poorly to chemotherapy or radiotherapy. In spite of all the treatment, the prognosis remains poor due to inadvertent delay in diagnosis, few therapeutic options and propensity to metastasize. We present a 47-year-old male who underwent a surgical excision of a left atrial mass in February 2010. It was proved to be a high-grade spindle cell sarcoma on histopathology. He presented again in October 2010 with recurrence of the tumour for which he was re-operated. However, the tumour recurred again within one month, to which the patient succumbed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai, India.
authors.forename: Nihar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.forename: Ajit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Desai
authors.forename: Bharat
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shivdasani
authors.forename: Satyajeet
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suryawanshi
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Behranwala
authors.forename: Boman
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dhabhar
mesh_terms: D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006325:Heart Atria; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D014463:Ultrasonography