Right atrial invasion by metastatic esophageal adenocarcinoma with direct connection to liver

Abstract

Common causes of right sided intra-cardiac atrial masses include primary cardiac tumors (atrial myxoma), atrial thrombus, tumor thrombus with hepatocellular or other thoracoabdominal cancers and metastatic lesions. Invasion of atria by gastrointestinal tumors is rare and that with esophageal ones seldom observed. Esophageal cancers rather present with dysphagia, odynophagia or systemic symptoms. Due to the lack of a serosal layer, esophageal tumors usually spread early in their course. Typical sites of spread include liver, gut, mediastinum, lungs and draining lymph nodes. We report a case of metastatic esophageal adenocarcinoma presenting with direct extension of metastatic tumor thrombus from liver to right atrium via inferior vena cava.