Metastatic Ocular Melanoma Presenting as a Heart-Compressing Mediastinal Mass

A Mediastinal Hematoma after the Bentall Operation Detected by Transthoracic Echocardiography

A round, well-defined mass was incidentally detected at follow-up transthoracic echocardiography in an asymptomatic 36-year-old man with a history of Bentall operation 8 months earlier. Computed tomography angiography of the aorta demonstrated a mediastinal hematoma below the pulmonary artery in the mid-mediastinum. Although mediastinal hematomas are hard to detect after cardiac surgery via transthoracic echocardiography, the probable presence of this complication should be kept in mind during echocardiography.

Anterior Mediastinal Mass Causing Intermittent Atrial Fibrillation

Mediastinal masses are a rare finding in the emergency department and typically present with vague chest complaints such as chest discomfort, chest pain, or dyspnea. Rarely do these tumors present with dysrhythmias, and when dysrhythmias are present, they typically arise secondary to endocrine or metabolic effects exerted by the tumor. Here we report a case of a patient who presented to the emergency department with atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response, concomitant with a history of recurrent palpitations that were previously aborted with self-induced vagal maneuvers. Upon further investigation, the patient had an anterior mediastinal mass, diagnosed as a thymoma, suspected to be contributing to his presenting dysrhythmia through mass effect.