Prominent right ventricular mass in a young patient with a history of classic testicular seminoma: a case report. Issue 1 (9th January 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hohmann, Christopher; Bunck, Alexander C; Pfister, David; Michels, Guido
• Editors: Liga, Riccardo; Vágó, Hajnalka; Milasinovic, Dejan; Cassar, Mark Philip; Green, Peregrine
• Is Part Of: European heart journal. Volume 3:Issue 1(2019)
• Publication Date: 2019-01-09
• Subjects: Multimodality imaging -- Intraventricular thrombosis -- Intraventricular metastasis -- Seminoma -- Case report; Cardiology -- Periodicals; Cardiology -- Case studies -- Periodicals; Heart -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Heart -- Diseases -- Case studies -- Periodicals; 616.12
• DOI: 10.1093/ehjcr/yty167
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2514-2119

Abstract

Abstract: Background: The incidence of intracardiac masses is generally low. In most cases, the formation of a thrombus represents the principal diagnosis in clinical practice. The differential diagnosis mainly includes primary tumours of the heart as well as intracardiac metastases. Testicular cancer is a rare malignancy, accounting for approximately 1% of all male tumours. Cardiac metastasis of a seminoma is extremely rare. Case summary: A 30-year-old man with a history of a classic seminoma of the right testis was referred to our university hospital from an outside clinic. Transthoracic echocardiography showed a large space-occupying mass in the right ventricle (4.0 cm × 4.5 cm × 5.5 cm) attached to the apex and septum. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the finding of a 5.5 cm × 3.5 cm lesion without freely movable appendage or obstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract. Tissue characterization by T1- and T2-weighted black blood imaging revealed a signal behaviour comparable to pulmonary metastases. Additionally, positron emission tomography (PET) with 250 MBq induced 18-fluorodeoxyglucose ( 18 F-FDG) as part of a re-staging showed significant FDG-uptake. Thus, the final diagnosis of an intracardiac metastasis of the testicular seminoma was made, and the patient was treated with cisplatin, etoposide, and bleomycin chemotherapy according to the current guidelines. A repeat trans-thoracic echocardiogram (TTE) performed 2 weeks later already demonstrated a significant reduction of the metastasis with a diameter of 3.3 cm × 3.0 cm. Discussion: In the past few years, multimodality imaging has become essential in the diagnostic evaluation of cardiac disease. In order to improve the diagnostic accuracy, a modern approach should preferably contain the integration of different imaging modalities. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging as well as 18 F-FDG-PET/computed tomography helped us reach the aetiological diagnosis of an intracardiac metastasis and to initiate prompt treatment.