Primary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the heart: A rare case of heart failure.

A 65-year-old man with previous history of smoking, controlled HIV infection, treated hepatitis B infection, and type III cryoglobulinemia, was admitted due to right heart failure symptoms and significant weight loss. Despite being haemodynamically stable, he had periods of 1:1 conduction atrial flutter and presented with respiratory alkalosis and metabolic acidosis, as well as acute kidney and hepatic dysfunction, elevated D-dimer and cardiac markers. He underwent imaging with chest computed tomography and echocardiogram that confirmed pulmonary embolism and most notably revealed a significant sized cardiac mass causing almost complete obstruction of the right chambers, with no cleavage plane with the myocardial walls and tricuspid valve. Cardiac magnetic resonance was highly suggestive of malignancy. Cardiac surgery for mass excision and endomyocardial biopsy for diagnosis were considered, but the patient died with obstructive shock unresponsive to medical treatment. The autopsy revealed a primary unspecified diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Changes in health-related quality of life and treatment effects in chronic heart failure: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) is associated with poor health status, and high morbi-mortality. However, it is not well established how health status changes correlate with treatment effects on clinical outcomes. Our aim was to study the association between treatment-induced changes in health-status, assessed by Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire 23 (KCCQ-23), and clinical outcomes in chronic HF. METHODS: Systematic search of phase III-IV pharmacological RCTs in chronic HF that assessed KCCQ-23 changes and clinical outcomes throughout follow-up. We studied the association between treatment induced changes in KCCQ-23 and treatment effects on clinical outcomes (HF hospitalization or cardiovascular death, HF hospitalization, cardiovascular death, and all-cause death) using weighted random-effects meta-regression. RESULTS: Sixteen trials were included, enrolling a total of 65,608 participants. Treatment induced KCCQ-23 changes were moderately correlated with treatment effects on the combined outcome of HF hospitalization or cardiovascular mortality (regression coefficient (RC) = -0.047, 95%CI: -0.085 to -0.009; R2 = 49%), a correlation that was mainly driven by HF hospitalization (RC = -0.076, 95%CI: -0.124 to -0.029; R2 = 56%). Correlations of treatment induced KCCQ-23 changes with cardiovascular death (RC = -0.029, 95%CI: -0.073 to 0.015; R2 = 10%) and all-cause death (RC = -0.019, 95%CI: -0.057 to 0.019; R2 = 0%) were weak and non-significant. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment-induced changes in KCCQ-23 were moderately correlated with treatment-effects on HF hospitalizations but were not correlated with the effects on cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Treatment-induced changes in patient-centered outcomes (i.e., KCCQ-23) may reflect non-fatal symptomatic changes in the clinical course of HF leading to hospitalization.