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Updated: May 24, 2026

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Cardiac Magnetic Resonance for the Evaluation of Suspected Cardiac Thrombus: Conventional and Emerging Techniques
Published on: June 11, 2019
Huge mediastinal mass surrounding the heart.
U Canpolat1, H Sunman, E B Kaya
1Department of Cardiology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Sihhiye/Ankara, Turkey. dru_canpolat@yahoo.com
Herz
|March 13, 2012
Summary
A large mediastinal mass, diagnosed as T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma, caused right ventricle collapse. Effective treatment led to the mass
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cardiology
- Hematology
Background:
- Malignant tumors can present with diverse clinical manifestations.
- Mediastinal masses can cause significant cardiac compromise.
Observation:
- A patient presented with a massive mediastinal tumor encasing the heart.
- The tumor caused significant compression, leading to right ventricle collapse.
Findings:
- Diagnosis confirmed as T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma.
- Treatment involved intrathecal chemotherapy (prednisone, ARA-C, methotrexate) and the CHOP regimen.
- Transthoracic echocardiography at 2 months showed complete resolution of the paracardiac mass.
Implications:
- This case demonstrates the efficacy of multi-agent chemotherapy in managing life-threatening mediastinal lymphoblastic lymphoma.
- Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are crucial for favorable outcomes in such rare oncological emergencies.
- Echocardiography is a valuable tool for monitoring treatment response in patients with cardiac involvement.
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