title: An intracardial mass in a young Syrian refugee.
abstract: A 35-year-old previously healthy man presented with orogenital ulcerations, high fever, weight loss and leg thrombosis. Antibiotics were ineffective. His symptoms persisted and 3 years later he suffered from exertional dyspnoea. Inflammatory markers were elevated and all cultures were negative. CT of the thorax showed bilateral pulmonary embolism and a mass attached to the septum of the right ventricle, as well as an occluded vena cava inferior. Histology of the cardiac mass revealed a thrombus. The pulmonary embolisation progressed despite treatment with full-dose dalteparin. After being diagnosed with Behçet's disease, a multisystemic large-vessel vasculitis, and treated with high-dose prednisolone and cyclophosphamide, his ulcerations and his symptoms of dyspnoea disappeared.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Inga Jóna
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Ingimarsdóttir
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wikström
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D012036:Refugees; D013593:Syria; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D014456:Ulcer / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011239:Prednisolone