title: Transthoracic echo: A sensitive tool for detecting cardiac extension of renal cell carcinoma?
abstract: Renal cell carcinoma is a common urological malignancy with the unique ability to invade the inferior vena cava (IVC) and to extend into the right atrium of the heart. Of those with Renal cell carcinoma only 4%-25% are found to have IVC invasion and of those only 2%-10% extend into the right atrium. If treated surgically, extension of tumor thrombus is not a determinant of survival; therefore it is imperative to determine the presence and extent of tumor thrombus in order to determine surgical approach and tumor resection. To date this has been primarily accomplished by magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. We present a case of 61 years old African American woman in which transthoracic echocardiography provided a more accurate determination/characterization of the presence and degree of tumor thrombus and extension.
authors.affiliation: Michelle Bejarano, Yara L Cameron, Theodore C Koutlas, Assad Movahed, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, East Carolina Heart Institute and Brody School of Medicine, Greenville, NC 27834, United States.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bejarano
authors.affiliation: Michelle Bejarano, Yara L Cameron, Theodore C Koutlas, Assad Movahed, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, East Carolina Heart Institute and Brody School of Medicine, Greenville, NC 27834, United States.
authors.forename: Yara L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Cameron
authors.affiliation: Michelle Bejarano, Yara L Cameron, Theodore C Koutlas, Assad Movahed, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, East Carolina Heart Institute and Brody School of Medicine, Greenville, NC 27834, United States.
authors.forename: Theodore C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Koutlas
authors.affiliation: Michelle Bejarano, Yara L Cameron, Theodore C Koutlas, Assad Movahed, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, East Carolina Heart Institute and Brody School of Medicine, Greenville, NC 27834, United States.
authors.forename: Assad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Movahed
keywords: Cardiac extension; Renal cell carcinoma; Right atrial mass; Tumor thrombus