Successful management of intracardiac extension of tumor thrombus in a patient with advanced nonseminomatous germ cell testicular cancer

Abstract

A young patient with testicular germ cell tumor presenting with inferior vena cava thrombus extending into the right heart with free-floating thrombus in the right ventricle and a simultaneous epidural spinal cord compression is presented. Due to the perceived high risk of embolization and the urgent need to begin systemic chemotherapy, he was managed with tumor thrombectomy utilizing cardiopulmonary bypass and hypothermic circulatory arrest followed shortly thereafter by systemic chemotherapy. There were no perioperative complications, and he is alive and without recurrence 24 months following four cycles of systemic chemotherapy.