Metastatic atrial tumor: case report with electrocardiographic-pathologic correlation.

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Oncology
• Pathology

Background:

• Metastasis to the heart is rare, with atrial involvement being less common.
• Bronchogenic carcinoma is a frequent primary lung cancer with potential for distant metastasis.
• Distinguishing cardiac metastasis from other cardiac pathologies is clinically significant.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a case of pre-mortem diagnosis of right atrial metastasis from bronchogenic carcinoma.
• To highlight the utility of electrocardiographic findings in diagnosing cardiac metastasis.
• To discuss the differential diagnosis of PR segment deviations in the context of atrial metastasis.

Main Methods:

• Case report detailing diagnostic findings.
• Electrocardiogram (ECG) analysis focusing on PR segment changes and atrial arrhythmias.
• Review of differential diagnoses for observed ECG abnormalities.

Main Results:

• Distinctive PR segment changes indicative of atrial repolarization abnormalities were observed.
• Atrial arrhythmias were present and correlated with the observed ECG changes.
• A pre-mortem diagnosis of right atrial metastasis from bronchogenic carcinoma was established.

Conclusions:

• Specific PR segment deviations and atrial arrhythmias can suggest atrial metastasis from bronchogenic carcinoma.
• Electrocardiography is a valuable tool in the pre-mortem diagnosis of cardiac metastasis.
• Differential diagnosis must consider other causes of atrial injury, including functional changes, pericarditis, and infarction.