Cardiac metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma in a young non-cirrhotic patient, to the left ventricle

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary tumor of the liver.1,2 The most common extra-hepatic metastatic sites are lung, abdominal lymph nodes and bone, while its cardiac metastasis is rare.2,3 Metastasis of HCC into the cardiac cavity is mostly caused by direct tumor invasion of vena cava inferior with continuous extension into the right cardiac cavity.4,5 Right heart metastasis without invasion of inferior vena cava, which may be caused by hematogenous spread of cancer cells, is rarely reported.6,7 This paper announces an unusual case of isolated involvement of left ventricle (LV) together with myocardial invasion of HCC. Our patient is known to be the first case with isolated HCC metastasis to the left ventricle. Strikingly, the patient was young and non-cirrhotic with negative serum HBsAg, and anti-HCV results.

Keywords

• Hepatocellular carcinoma
• Metastasis
• Left ventricle metastasis
• Cardiac tumors