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Pericardial effusion may originate from a wide variety of underlying pathology. Primary cardiac malignancy should always be considered as a rare underlying cause. Angiosarcoma is the most common cardiac malignancy, which often arises as a mass in the right atrium. We describe a young patient with collapse due to pericardial effusion caused by a primary cardiac angiosarcoma. The case is an example of the difficulties and dilemmas which may be encountered in assessing the diagnosis of cardiac angiosarcoma. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

One hundred patients with sporadically occurring symptoms suggesting cardiac arrhythmias were evaluated with the aid of a transtelephonic electrocardiographic recording device (Cardiomemo). In 83 patients, 124 episodes with symptoms were documented and a correlation with electrocardiographic findings could be established. Forty of these patients (48%) had a cardiac arrhythmia and 43 (52%) had a normal heart rhythm. It appears that, for the assessment of sporadically occurring symptoms, transtelephonic electrocardiographic recording is a valuable supplement to 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring.