TUMORAL HEART INVOLVEMENT IN MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN WITH DOCUMENTED STERNAL CHONDROSARCOMA

Abstract

We describe the case of a 47-year-old woman with a history of sternotomy and insertion of a sternal prosthesis six months prior to admission due to sternal chondrosarcoma. The patient was admitted with dyspnea and chest discomfort, which had increased twenty days before admission. Echocardiography showed moderate pericardial effusion with moderate right ventricular enlargement and dysfunction and large gelatinous mass in the right atrium, which had protruded to the right ventricle through the inflow valve. Unfortunately, the patient died before any intervention. Final echocardiography revealed a reduction in the size of the mass, confirming that the patient's death occurred secondary to metastatic pulmonary emboli.