Rare Cardiac Tumor: Do We Know All About Cardiac Myxofibrosarcoma?

ABSTRACT

Primary cardiac tumors (PCTs) are less frequent and carry an incidence of 1.38 per 100,000 population per year. Myxofibrosarcomas are reported as one of the rarest forms of cardiac sarcomas, mostly with mesenchymal origin and located in the left atrium. Current research indicates an increase in median survival from 14 months to 36 months following complete resection and chemoradiotherapy. A 55-year-old Caucasian woman was admitted with brief self-resolving episodes of aphasia following migraine headaches for the past few months with associated exertional dyspnea and episodes of hypotension. Examination revealed a right-sided facial droop with cardiac murmur on auscultation. MRI brain was recommended which revealed a non-hemorrhagic infarct and multiple watershed infarcts. A transesophageal echocardiography revealed a large mass of around 5 cm in size located at the posterior wall of the left atrium causing mitral stenosis. The patient was initially managed conservatively and referred to cardiothoracic surgery and underwent a complete surgical resection. The histopathological report indicated the presence of primary cardiac sarcoma, and a postoperative positron emission therapy (PET) scan revealed no other foci of cancer further strengthening evidence of a primary cardiac pathology. This case represents a rare cardiac pathology presenting with non-cardiac symptoms.