Search

The case of a young male with a primary cardiac angiosarcoma of the right atrium is reported. The patient presented with a relapsing cardiac tamponade due to hemopericardium, the diagnosis being made by magnetic resonance. The resection of the tumor did not prevent an adverse outcome, as the patient died due to metastatic dissemination.

The case of a patient with mitral and aortic mechanical valve prostheses is presented who developed early postoperative infective endocarditis and, subsequently, a fistulous communication between the posterior aortic sinus and both the left atrium and the left ventricle. A diastolic murmur of apparent aortic prosthesis regurgitation was heard, although an abnormal aortic valve function could not be demonstrated in the transthoracic echocardiographic study. Instead, the presence of a systolic high velocity flow by continuous wave Doppler suggested prosthetic mitral leakage. The clinical presentation of progressive congestive heart failure and pulmonary hypertension by Doppler prompted a further study by means of transesophageal echocardiography with multiplanar probe showing the above mentioned double fistulous communication. The diagnosis was later confirmed by angiography and also at surgery.