Key result
Surgical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy for a primary intimal sarcoma of the left atrium in a 43-year-old female was followed by local tumor recurrence and death within 4 months.
Case Report (n=1)
Primary intimal sarcoma of the left atrium is a highly aggressive cardiac tumor that can present with constitutional symptoms and has a rapid, fatal clinical course.
Rapid recurrence despite resection and chemotherapy in this case should not change practice; leaves open optimal strategies for rare left atrial intimal sarcoma.
Intimal (spindle-cell) sarcomas are exceptionally rare and are highly aggressive cardiac tumors. The authors describe a case of a 43-year-old female, presenting with a 3-month history of constitutional symptoms with fever, night sweats, anorexia and weight loss, associated with productive cough and pleural effusion that was admitted with clinical suspicion of pulmonary tuberculosis. The patient developed sudden acute heart failure symptoms during hospitalization, leading to mechanical ventilation. Computed tomography scan with contrast showed a cardiac tumor filling the left atrium causing compression of pulmonary veins. Surgical resection was performed and histologic examination revealed an intimal sarcoma. Although commenced on adjuvant chemotherapy, local tumor recurrence occurred with pericardium invasion. The patient died within 4 months of initial diagnosis. This report aims to describe an unusual presentation of this rare disease entity, and to discuss its highly aggressive clinical course.
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Mendes et al. (2017) conducted a case report in Primary intimal sarcoma of the left atrium (n=1). Surgical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy was evaluated. Surgical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy for a primary intimal sarcoma of the left atrium in a 43-year-old female was followed by local tumor recurrence and death within 4 months.
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