315. Case Report: A Mystery Mass in the Heart – University of Chicago – Northshore University

In this episode, CardioNerds co-founder Amit Goyal joins Dr. Iva Minga, Dr. Kevin Lee, and Dr. Juan Pablo Salazar Adum from the University of Chicago - Northshore in Evanston, IL to discuss a case of primary cardiac diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The ECPR for this episode is provided by Dr. Amit Pursnani (Advanced Cardiac Imaging, Fellowship program director, NorthShore University HealthSystem). Audio editing by CardioNerds Academy Intern, Dr. Akiva Rosenzveig.

Case synopsis: A 77-year-old man with no significant medical history presents to the emergency department with progressive shortness of breath for 1 week. He reports an unintentional 15-pound weight loss in the prior month as well as constipation and abdominal/flank pain. On examination he was found to be tachycardic with a regular rhythm and further evaluation with a chest X-ray and chest CT scan demonstrated a large pericardial effusion. This was further investigated with an urgent echocardiogram that revealed a large pericardial effusion with a large mass attached to the pericardial side of the RV free wall, as well as signs of early cardiac tamponade. A pericardiocentesis was performed and 550mL of bloody fluid was withdrawn. The fluid was sent for laboratory analysis and cytology. A cardiac MRI demonstrated a large invasive mass in the pericardium and RV wall consistent with cardiac lymphoma. Cytology confirmed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Subsequent CT and PET scans did not find any other site of malignancy, giving the patient a diagnosis of primary cardiac diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The patient underwent R-CHOP chemotherapy and was followed closely with repeat cardiac MRI and PET scans which demonstrated resolution of the cardiac mass at his one-year surveillance follow-up.

This case was published in US Cardiology Review, the official journal of CardioNerds. To learn more, access the case report article here.

CardioNerds is collaborating with Radcliffe Cardiology and US Cardiology Review journal (USC) for a ‘call for cases’, with the intention to co-publish high impact cardiovascular case reports, subject to double-blind peer review. Case Reports that are accepted in USC journal and published as the version of record (VOR), will also be indexed in Scopus and the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).

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