Open AccessA case report of a primary cardiac lymphoma causing superior vena cava obstruction: the value of multimodality imaging in the clinical workup
Author(s) -
Alessia Azzu,
Alexios S Antonopoulos,
Batool Almogheer,
Raad Mohiaddin
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
european heart journal. case reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.256
H-Index - 5
ISSN - 2514-2119
DOI - 10.1093/ehjcr/ytaa405
Subject(s) - medicine , radiology , superior vena cava , magnetic resonance imaging , cardiac magnetic resonance imaging , superior vena cava syndrome , cardiac imaging , medical history , lymphoma , cardiac magnetic resonance , inferior vena cava , cardiology
Background This is a case report of a primary cardiac lymphoma with an unusual clinical presentation. We hereby illustrate the characteristic features of cardiac lymphomas by multimodality imaging and particularly cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) that can help reach a timely diagnosis non-invasively and guide treatment decisions. Case summary A 58-year-old woman, without significant past medical history, presented with a 3-week history of shortness of breath associated with facial and neck swelling. Transthoracic echocardiogram confirmed the presence of a cardiac mass in the right atrium. Cardiac magnetic resonance helped to characterize the mass, assess its haemodynamic significance and relation to cardiac structures, and reach a non-invasive diagnosis that was crucial for guiding treatment decisions and interventions. Discussion Cardiac masses have distinct imaging features that can help differentiate malignant from benign cardiac tumours. More specifically, primary cardiac lymphomas can be relatively easy diagnosed by CMR in most cases thanks to their characteristic imaging appearance.