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Updated: Jan 22, 2026

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance for the Evaluation of Suspected Cardiac Thrombus: Conventional and Emerging Techniques
Published on: June 11, 2019
[Development of cardiac tamponade and emergence of arrhythmia during chemotherapy for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma]
Yuta Baba1, Bungo Saito1, Shotaro Shimada1
1Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Showa University School of Medicine.
Insights
Chemotherapy for cardiac lymphoma can unexpectedly trigger arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation. Regular electrocardiogram monitoring is crucial during treatment for early detection and management of these cardiac complications.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Oncology
- Pathology
Background:
- Cardiac involvement in lymphoma can lead to serious complications, including arrhythmias.
- Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) with cardiac involvement presents unique challenges.
Observation:
- A 68-year-old male with cardiac tamponade and DLBCL developed new-onset arrhythmias (atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, atrial flutter) during chemotherapy.
- These arrhythmias emerged shortly after initiating treatment for lymphoma.
Findings:
- Successful chemotherapy led to the disappearance of the cardiac tumor mass and restoration of normal sinus rhythm without antiarrhythmic intervention.
- No recurrence of arrhythmias was noted post-treatment.
Implications:
- Chemotherapy-induced arrhythmias in cardiac lymphoma may result from rapid cardiac remodeling after tumor regression.
- Electrocardiogram (ECG) surveillance is essential during chemotherapy for cardiac lymphoma, even in patients without pre-existing arrhythmias.
- This highlights the importance of proactive cardiac monitoring in oncology patients with heart involvement.
Abstract:
Cardiac involvement during lymphoma often causes complications, including arrhythmia. A 68-year-old male with cardiac tamponade was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with cardiac involvement based on the presence of the tumor mass in the myocardium and lymphoma cells in the pericardial effusion. He developed atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, and atrial flutter after initiating chemotherapy. Following chemotherapy, sinus rhythm was restored without invasive treatment for arrhythmia, while the cardiac mass disappeared. No recurrent arrhythmias were observed. In lymphoma with cardiac involvement, unexpected arrhythmias can emerge after initiation of chemotherapy, which could potentially be related to accelerated cardiac remodeling owing to the rapid relief of cardiac damage. Follow-up using electrocardiogram is thus necessary during chemotherapy for cardiac lymphoma, despite the absence of arrhythmia at the time of diagnosis.
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Diffusion
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