title: Right atrial spindle cell sarcoma as a rare cause of tricuspid stenosis.
abstract: Spindle cell sarcomas of the right atrium are extremely rare primary cardiac tumours with very few cases reported in the medical literature. The prognosis of this malignant neoplasm remains poor due to delay in diagnosis, early metastasis and few available therapeutic options. It responds poorly to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Surgical excision is the mainstay of treatment. We report a 42-year-old man, who presented to emergency room with dyspnoea and fatigue (New York Heart Association classification II) since 1 month. Transthoracic echocardiogram showed massive pericardial effusion with tamponade. The patient underwent emergency pericardiocentesis; postpericardiocentesis echocardiogram showed large right atrial mass involving the right ventricle and the tricuspid valve causing tricuspid stenosis. Findings were confirmed by cardiac CT scan. Percutaneous transvenous biopsy was carried out which revealed spindle cell sarcoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences & Research, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Sunil D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Shewale
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences & Research, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Prabhavathi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bhat
authors.affiliation: Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences & Research, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Anshul Kumar
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8010-8227
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences & Research, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Cholenahally Nanjappa
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Manjunath
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D020519:Pericardiocentesis; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014261:Tricuspid Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014264:Tricuspid Valve Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy