Surgical clearance of invasive cardiac leiomyosarcoma with concomitant pneumonectomy

The management of cardiac leiomyosarcoma is still controversial. Due to the rare occurrence and late presentation of such tumours the treatment is essentially palliative. We report on a case in a young female who presented with catastrophic haemodynamic instability and pulmonary venous obstruction by a large mass in her left atrium. Right pneumonectomy was performed as part of emergency surgery in this patient with a left atrial tumour of unknown histology. We feel that an attempt at complete clearance of these tumours is justified, as surgery remains the only chance of long-term survival. Postoperatively, adjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy may have a role.