Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance for the Evaluation of Suspected Cardiac Thrombus: Conventional and Emerging Techniques
Published on: June 11, 2019
A Patient Presenting with Cardiac Tamponade and the Challenges of Finding Its Cause: A Cardiac Angiosarcoma
Roshanak Habibi1, Negar Faramarzi1, Alvaro J Altamirano2
1Department of Internal Medicine, Presence Saint Francis Hospital, 355 Ridge Ave., Evanston, IL 60202, USA.
Abstract:
Primary malignancies of the heart are so rare that most of the available data come from case reports or large single-center-based studies, with the overall incidence of 0.02% in the United States. Diagnosis in case of an isolated pericardial effusion as presentation is challenging, and determining that an angiosarcoma is even more challenging. Here, we presented a rare case of pericardial angiosarcoma which presented to us with tamponade. The patient eventually was diagnosed through pericardiectomy. A multimodality approach was attempted to treat the cancer. The clinical details of such a unique disease entity inspired us to present it as a case report.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Cardiac Output II: Effect of Stroke Volume on Cardiac Output
Preload
Preload refers to the initial elongation of the cardiac myocytes before contraction and is related to the volume of blood filling the heart at the end of diastole, or end-diastolic volume. The...
Cardiac Output I:Effect of Heart Rate on Cardiac Output
Cardiac output (CO) refers to the total amount of blood ejected by one of the ventricles in liters per minute (L/min). In a resting adult, CO ranges from 5 to 6 L/min, adjusting according to the body's metabolic requirements.
Effect of Heart Rate on Cardiac Output
Cardiac output adapts to metabolic demands during stress, physical activity, or illness. The autonomic nervous system regulates heart rate via the sinoatrial node. The parasympathetic nervous system decreases heart...
The Cardiac Cycle
The Process
Electrical signals—sent from the sinoatrial (SA) node in the right atrial wall to the atrioventricular (AV) node between the right atrium and right ventricle—cause both atria to simultaneously contract. When the signal reaches the AV node, it pauses for approximately a tenth of a second, allowing the atria to contract and...
Cardiac Cycle
During the cardiac cycle, blood flow through the heart is regulated entirely by changing pressure gradients. This sequence of events begins with the heart in a state of total relaxation, known as mid-to-late diastole, during which blood passively flows from...
Cardiac Action Potential
The cardiac action potential process involves a series of phases characterized by the movement of ions across the cardiac cell membranes, leading to the depolarization and repolarization of the cardiac myocytes.
Ionic Basis of Cardiac Action Potentials
Exercise and Cardiac Output
Sustained exercise increases the muscles' oxygen demand, which can be...

