[Primary angiosarcoma of the right atrium with a patent foramen ovale and severe hypoxemia]

A 19-years-old female with a primary right atrial angiosarcoma partially obstructing the tricuspid valve, developed severe hypoxemia due to right-to-left shunting through a patient foramen ovale. This is the first report of such clinical situation with this type of tumor. A complete resection of the tumor was attempted, and the right atrium had to be rebuilt with a bovine pericardium patch. Post-operative cranial, thoracic and abdominal CT scans and bone scintigraphy did not show metastatic spread. Chest radiation therapy was started on the third postoperative week. Chemotherapy was not used. The patient died five months after surgery due to disseminated metastatic disease but no evidence of the tumor was found in the necroscopic study of the heart.