Echocardiography is crucial for the expedient diagnosis and management of rare cardiac masses like left atrial leiomyosarcoma.
Echocardiography may aid detection of rare left atrial leiomyosarcoma; single case leaves open questions on postoperative surveillance and outcomes.
Leiomyosarcoma of the left atrium is a very rare finding with a poor prognosis. A morbidly obese patient presented to the echocardiography lab with symptoms of acute congestive heart failure. Following admission, the patient received a transthoracic echocardiogram. This echo showed a large mass in the left atrium causing severe mitral regurgitation as well as severe pulmonary hypertension. The patient then received a transesophageal echocardiogram due to his obesity and the ability to better visualize the mass. Based on the echocardiography images, the patient was taken to surgery and the mass was excised. The mass was sent to the pathology lab, where a final diagnosis of sarcoma most consistent with leiomyosarcoma was confirmed. One month postoperative, the patient developed malignant pericardial effusion and was found to be in poor health. Echocardiography played an important and expedient role in the care and treatment of this patient.
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Tonda Hinton (2006) studied this question.
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