Key result
A 42-year-old man with a history of colon adenocarcinoma developed massive malignant pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade as the earliest manifestation of metastasis, and died 2 months later.
Case Report (n=1)
No
Highlights a rare presentation of metastatic colorectal cancer as malignant pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade.
Consider malignant pericardial effusion in colon cancer patients with tamponade; extends sparse case literature on rare initial metastases.
Metastatic cardiac malignancies mainly come from the lung, breast, and the lymphoreticular system by direct invasion or hematogenous or lymphatic spread. Metastasis from colorectal cancer to the heart or pericardium is seldom reported and only sporadic antemortem cases have been reported. We report an unusual case of malignant pericardial effusion caused by metastatic adenocarcinoma of colon. Malignant pericardial effusion and subsequent tamponade was the earliest manifestation without any other confirmed clinical metastases. Pericardiotomy was performed to relieve the life-threatening cardiac tamponade. We report this rare case and review the literature.
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Chen et al. (2007) conducted a case report in Metastatic adenocarcinoma of the colon presenting as cardiac tamponade (n=1). Pericardiotomy and salvage chemotherapy was evaluated on Clinical outcome. A 42-year-old man with a history of colon adenocarcinoma developed massive malignant pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade as the earliest manifestation of metastasis, and died 2 months later.
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