Abstract
Cardiac angiosarcoma is the most common primary malignant cardiac tumor in adults. Due to nonspecific clinical symptoms its diagnosis is often late.
A key role in diagnosis plays echocardiography and the cardiac biopsy; computed tomography and positron emission tomography (PET) can help in determining the presence of metastasis and the treatment strategy. Available methods of treatment are limited and based solely on individual case reports - surgical excision, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or orthotopic heart transplantation have uncertain effect on survival.
In this presented case, we report of a 52-year-old male who was admitted for palpitations, chest pain, and brief presyncope. Initially, a narrow complex tachycardia 220/min was recorded and a catheter ablation scheduled.
However, an intracardiac tumor mass was revealed by CT angiogram and later verified as a primary cardiac angiosarcoma by transoesophageal echocardiography and biopsy. The patient underwent a radical surgical resection with subsequent chemotherapy and biological therapy.
Unfortunately, in 8 months a relapse was discovered by PET and the patient died 16 months after the primary diagnosis.
