title: Right atrial mass in a patient with breast cancer: percutaneous transcatheter biopsy under intracardiac echocardiography guidance.
abstract: Precise diagnosis of intracardiac masses is fundamental to their treatment. However, the findings of non-invasive imaging techniques are frequently inconclusive. In this setting, percutaneous transcatheter biopsy might represent a valid alternative to surgical biopsy. Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE)-guided biopsy offers high-quality imaging, is a relatively quick and easy interventional procedure to perform and does not require patient intubation or the assistance of an echocardiographer. We describe the case of a 47-year-old woman undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, who presented with a right atrial mass. Non-invasive imaging was inconclusive. Since no changes in the aspect or size of the mass were noticed after 2-week treatment with heparin, ICE-guided biopsy was performed, which confirmed the thrombotic nature of the mass. The patient underwent surgical resection of the thrombus and curative treatment of her breast cancer was pursued.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Azzalini
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Quentin
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6131-1510
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: de Hemptinne
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Asgar
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Reda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged