Left atrial metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma: a case report

This is the second reported case of a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma in whom the presence of a solitary, left atrial metastatic tumor was confirmed with the aid of transesophageal echocardiography. The tumor was discovered during computed tomography scanning at a follow-up examination after a 3-month regimen of chemotherapy. The patient had exhibited no signs of cardiac involvement, which may have been the result of the relatively small size of the tumor. Surgical excision of the tumor was successfully undertaken, and the patient's postoperative course was uneventful. In this case, transesophageal echocardiography was valuable in providing information regarding the exact location of the tumor and its relation to surrounding anatomical structures.