PRIMARY CARDIAC ANGIOSARCOMA - A CASE-REPORT AND REVIEW OF THERAPEUTIC OPTIONS

A 45-year-old black patient presented with right-heart failure. Echoca rdiography showed a large tumor mass in the right atrium and a debulki ng procedure was performed. Histological and immunohistochemical studi es revealed a high grade angiosarcoma infiltrating the myocardium and extending to the pericardial surface. Metastatic work-up showed no evi dence of dissemination. The patient made an uneventful postsurgical re covery and was treated with chemotherapy, consisting of epidoxorubicin and dacarbazin. Following chemotherapy, echocardiographic re-evaluati on failed to show any residual tumor in the right atrium. At present, one year following diagnosis, the patient is alive with no evidence of disease. Therapeutic options of primary cardiac angiosarcoma are revi ewed. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.