Right atrial rupture caused by primary cardiac angiosarcoma: A case report

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Oncology
• Pathology

Background:

• Primary cardiac angiosarcoma is an exceptionally rare and aggressive heart malignancy.
• Clinical presentation often occurs late, complicating early detection and treatment.
• This report details a unique case of cardiac angiosarcoma in a young female, complicated by atrial rupture.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a rare case of primary cardiac angiosarcoma in a young female patient.
• To illustrate the diagnostic challenges and management of cardiac angiosarcoma with atrial rupture.
• To underscore the importance of advanced imaging in diagnosing cardiac tumors.

Main Methods:

• A young female patient presented with syncope and was diagnosed via echocardiography, CT, and MRI.
• The patient underwent surgical resection of the cardiac tumor and repair of atrial rupture.
• Histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses confirmed the diagnosis of angiosarcoma (CD31+, ERG+).

Main Results:

• The diagnosis of primary cardiac angiosarcoma was confirmed through integrated clinical, imaging, and pathological findings.
• Postoperative chemotherapy was administered, but the patient ultimately succumbed to metastatic disease after 8 months.
• The case highlights the aggressive nature of cardiac angiosarcoma despite treatment.

Conclusions:

• Early diagnosis of primary cardiac angiosarcoma remains a significant clinical challenge due to late-stage presentation.
• Multimodality imaging plays a crucial role in accurate lesion identification, staging, and evaluation of cardiac tumors.
• This case underscores the poor prognosis associated with advanced cardiac angiosarcoma.