Primary Right Atrial Sarcoma Presenting with Cardiac Tamponade and Massive Pleural Effusion

Abstract

Primary cardiac sarcomas are very rare and there is no consensus on management. Clinical presentation is usually late. Despite newer diagnostic technology, prognosis remains dismal. We report a case of right atrial sarcoma in a 28-year-old man who presented with acute cardiac tamponade. Emergency subxiphoid pericardial drainage stabilized the patient's critical condition. The lesion was advanced. Therefore, we only performed a suboptimal surgical resection. Despite planning for radiation, the patient's status deteriorated. Only palliative measures continued during the next four months before his death due to disseminated metastasis and progressive cardiopulmonary failure.

Keywords

• Cardiac tumor
• Surgical resection
• Synovial sarcoma