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Published on: July 25, 2019

Primary extramedullary plasmacytoma in the atria of the heart

X Wan1, S Tarantolo, D F Orton

  • 1Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 983332 Nebraska Medical Center, 68198-3332, Omaha, NE, USA.

Cardiovascular Pathology : the Official Journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Pathology
|August 4, 2001
PubMed

Insights

A rare primary extramedullary plasmacytoma of the heart caused severe cardiovascular issues. Diagnosis involved biopsy and immunohistochemistry, highlighting kappa light chain expression.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Oncology
  • Pathology

Background:

  • Primary extramedullary plasmacytoma is a rare plasma cell neoplasm.
  • Cardiac tumors can present with significant cardiovascular compromise.

Observation:

  • A large, space-occupying tumor in the atrial wall led to impaired cardiovascular function.
  • Significant pericardial effusion was associated with the cardiac tumor.

Findings:

  • Diagnosis was confirmed via intravenous biopsy and immunohistochemistry.
  • Tumor cells expressed CD45 and kappa light chains, with negative B-cell and T-cell markers.
  • Serum immunofixation electrophoresis revealed elevated kappa light chains.

Implications:

  • Consider plasmacytoma in cardiac tumors when routine lymphoid and soft tissue markers are negative.
  • Immunohistochemistry, including kappa light chain detection, is crucial for diagnosing rare cardiac neoplasms.
  • This case expands the understanding of extramedullary plasmacytoma localization and presentation.

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