Case report: multimodality imaging to diagnose cardiac diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Yahya E Alansari; Brian Yudhistiara; René P Michel; Eleanor Elstein

doi:10.1093/ehjcr/ytab172

Case report: multimodality imaging to diagnose cardiac diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Eur Heart J Case Rep. 2021 May 7;5(5):ytab172. doi: 10.1093/ehjcr/ytab172. eCollection 2021 May.

Authors

Yahya E Alansari¹, Brian Yudhistiara², René P Michel³, Eleanor Elstein¹

Affiliations

¹ Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, McGill University, 1009 rue de Bleury, Apt 1009, Montréal, QC H2Z 0A3, Canada.
² College of Medicine, Heidelberg University, Grabengasse 1, Heidelberg, 69117 Germany.
³ Department of Pathology, McGill University, 1009 rue de Bleury, Apt 1009, Montréal, QC H2Z 0A3,Canada.

Abstract

Background: Primary cardiac lymphoma (PCL) is rare and can present with a wide variety of clinical symptoms, frequently leading to a delay in diagnosis.

Case summary: We report a case of a PCL in an 81-year-old man. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging showed multiple masses in the right atrium and a mass in the right ventricular outflow tract extending to the pulmonary artery. Biopsy revealed a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The patient also had metastases to the liver and lung on the positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) scan. He was treated with R-CHOP chemotherapy, with complete remission documented PET-CT scans.

Conclusion: Although most patients with PCL die before chemotherapy can be initiated, a timely diagnosis can result in a favourable outcome.

Keywords: Cardiac MRI; Cardiac lymphoma; Echocardiography; Primary cardiac tumour.

Publication types

Case Reports