title: Unique presentation of a primary pleomorphic sarcoma of the left atrium.
abstract: This report describes an extremely rare cause of a common presentation. A 59-year-old man who presented with symptoms of progressive cardiac failure, was demonstrated to have a large left intraatrial mass on computed tomography pulmonary angiography and an echocardiogram. He proceeded to urgent surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass. Histology of the resected mass diagnosed primary pleomorphic sarcoma of the left atrium. This exceedingly rare malignancy has a poor prognosis and often presents with nonspecific symptoms. Echocardiography remains vital in diagnosis, and treatment is primarily surgical excision, with some reports of adjuvant chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Alexis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lake
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Townsville Hospital, Townsville, Queensland, Australia warraicch@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ashraf
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical Pathology, The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maywald
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Homayoun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jalali
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Echocardiography; heart atria; heart failure; heart neoplasms; sarcoma