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Published on: September 3, 2020
Cardiac Lymphoma Presenting with Recurrent STEMI
Munis Raza1, Sohail Ikram1, Nina Williams1
1UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE, LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.
Insights
Metastatic cardiac lymphoma, though rare, can mimic heart attacks. This case highlights a fatal presentation of lymphoma infiltrating the heart, leading to myocardial infarction and ventricular rupture.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Oncology
- Pathology
Background:
- Primary cardiac tumors are rare; secondary cardiac tumors are more common.
- Cardiac involvement occurs in about 18% of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cases at autopsy.
- Clinical signs of cardiac lymphoma are often subtle and detected late.
Observation:
- Clinical signs of cardiac lymphoma are often subtle and missed until late stages.
- A rare case of metastatic cardiac lymphoma presented as ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.
Findings:
- The lymphoma caused transmural myocardial necrosis.
- This led to left ventricular free wall rupture and cardiogenic shock.
Implications:
- This case underscores the importance of considering metastatic cardiac lymphoma in patients with lymphoma and myocardial infarction symptoms.
- Early recognition and diagnosis are crucial for managing this rare but severe condition.
Abstract:
The incidence of primary cardiac tumors is exceedingly rare, whereas secondary cardiac tumors are more common in the global population. Cardiac involvement is seen in approximately 18% of patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at the time of autopsy. Clinical manifestations of cardiac involvement are subtle and often go unrecognized until advanced stages of the disease. We present a rare case of metastatic cardiac lymphoma that presented as an ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction complicated by left ventricular free wall rupture and cardiogenic shock due to transmural myocardial necrosis from malignant cell infiltration.
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