Resection of a right atrial metastatic melanoma with unknown origin of primary tumor

Cardiac involvement of malignant melanoma is generally part of a widespread tumor dissemination, which is mostly multifocal. Hence the disease is usua lly not amenable to surgical intervention. We report successful resection o f a large intracavitary melanoma to the right atrium, the primary origin of which was unknown. The right atrium was reconstructed with an autologous p ericardial patch. At 12-month follow-up the patient remains asymptomatic. ( C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.