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Cardiac metastases from head and neck cancer mimicking a myocardial infarction

Nandini U Yadav1, Dipti Gupta2, Michael S Baum3

  • 1Fellow, Cardiology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.

Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery : Official Journal of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
|May 13, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Cardiac metastases from head and neck cancer are rare but can cause myocardial infarction patterns. This study highlights two cases where tumor infiltration led to fatal outcomes despite the absence of cardiac symptoms.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cardiology
  • Pathology

Background:

  • Cardiac metastases are uncommon occurrences in patients with primary head and neck cancers.
  • The clinical presentation and diagnostic challenges of such cases warrant further investigation.

Observation:

  • Two patients with primary head and neck cancer were diagnosed with cardiac metastases.
  • Electrocardiograms revealed persistent acute infarction patterns in both patients, indicative of myocardial tumor infiltration.

Findings:

  • Myocardial tumor infiltration from head and neck cancer can manifest as an acute infarction pattern on electrocardiograms.
  • Absence of overt cardiac symptoms does not preclude the presence of significant cardiac involvement.

Implications:

  • This case series underscores the importance of considering cardiac metastases in the differential diagnosis of head and neck cancer patients presenting with electrocardiographic abnormalities.
  • Early detection and understanding of cardiac involvement may improve patient management, although prognosis remains poor given the metastatic nature of the disease.

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