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Case Reports
. 2009 Jun 7;15(21):2675-8.
doi: 10.3748/wjg.15.2675.

Cardiac metastasis from colorectal cancer: a case report

Pyong Wha Choi  1 , Chul Nam Kim, Sun Hee Chang, Woo Ik Chang, Chang Young Kim, Hyun Min Choi
Affiliations
Case Reports

Cardiac metastasis from colorectal cancer: a case report

Pyong Wha Choi et al. World J Gastroenterol. .

Abstract

The heart is an unusual site of metastasis from any malignancy. We report a case of cardiac metastasis from colorectal cancer. A 70-year-old woman was referred with a presumptive diagnosis of sigmoid colon cancer with cardiac myxoma. Two-dimensional echocardiography showed a 4 cm x 4.5 cm mobile mass on the lateral right atrial wall, and computed tomography revealed a low attenuated lobulating mass in the right atrium. The patient underwent anterior resection for sigmoid colon cancer (T4N2). Thereafter, she experienced progressive shortness of breath. Therefore, a cardiac operation was performed 2 wk after the colorectal operation. Histological examination revealed adenocarcinoma, which was identical to the primary lesion. Although two-dimensional echocardiography has become the diagnostic test of choice for detecting cardiac tumors, in patients with colorectal cancer showing a cardiac mass, further diagnostic evaluation such as a magnetic resonance imaging might be necessary.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Transthoracic echocardiography. A: A mobile, round, spherical, and echogenic mass (white arrows) is seen adjacent to the lateral right atrial wall on an apical four chamber view of the transthoracic echocardiography; B: A magnified image of the right atrial mass shows a pedunculated character with a broad stalk (tris-arrows). RA: Right atrium; LA: Left atrium; LV: Left ventricle.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Computed tomography scan revealed that the mass (arrow) was located in the right atrium, obstructing the tricuspid valve opening.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Operative finding. On opening the right atrium, a large multiple lobulating mass (arrow) with a rough surface was located on the antero-inferior side of the right atrial free wall. The mass was near the atrioventricular groove, with invasion into the right atrium.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Microscopic findings. A: Tall malignant columnar cells line large irregular glands; some forming a cribriform architecture containing intraluminal necrotic debris in primary colon cancer (HE, × 100); B: The cardiac mass shows similar histological findings to Figure 4A.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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