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Published on: March 30, 2018
Cardiac Malignant Lymphoma with Diffuse Extension to the Left Ventricle
Daichi Terunuma1, Masanobu Miura1, Ko Teshima2
1Department of Cardiology, Iwate Prefectural Central Hospital, Japan.
Insights
Malignant cardiac lymphoma, a rare condition, can diffusely affect the left ventricle. Chemotherapy improved cardiac function in a patient with this heart lymphoma, demonstrating treatment efficacy.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Oncology
- Pathology
Background:
- Malignant cardiac lymphoma is an uncommon diagnosis.
- Typically presents as right-sided cardiac nodules.
- This case highlights atypical diffuse left ventricular involvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a rare case of malignant cardiac lymphoma with diffuse left ventricular extension.
- To describe the diagnostic findings and treatment of this condition.
- To illustrate the potential for cardiac function improvement with chemotherapy.
Main Methods:
- Patient presentation: Dyspnea and malaise in a woman in her 60s.
- Diagnostic imaging: Echocardiography revealed left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH); MRI showed diffuse delayed contrast enhancement.
- Invasive procedures: Cardiac catheterization and myocardial biopsy confirmed heart failure due to cardiac malignant lymphoma.
Main Results:
- Diagnosis of malignant cardiac lymphoma with diffuse left ventricular infiltration.
- Mild diastolic dysfunction observed despite significant left ventricular hypertrophy.
- Successful treatment with chemotherapy led to improved and maintained cardiac function.
Conclusions:
- Malignant cardiac lymphoma can present with diffuse left ventricular involvement, deviating from typical presentations.
- Multimodality imaging and biopsy are crucial for diagnosis.
- Chemotherapy can effectively manage cardiac lymphoma, leading to functional recovery.
Abstract:
Malignant cardiac lymphoma is rare and commonly involves nodules on the right side of the heart. We herein report a case of malignant cardiac lymphoma with diffuse extension into the left ventricle. The patient was a woman in her 60s who complained of dyspnea and malaise. Echocardiography revealed left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), and magnetic resonance imaging revealed diffuse contrast enhancement on delayed contrast. Cardiac catheterization and a myocardial biopsy suggested heart failure due to cardiac malignant lymphoma, and diastolic dysfunction was mild despite LVH. The patient underwent chemotherapy, and her cardiac function improved and was maintained.
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