Raciti CG, Alakhras H, Strubchevska K, Timmis S, Kozyk M. A Rare Case of Cardiac Tamponade Induced by Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.
Cureus 2023;
15:e51271. [PMID:
38288237 PMCID:
PMC10824367 DOI:
10.7759/cureus.51271]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
While cardiac tamponade is a commonly recognized complication in solid organ malignancies and acute leukemias, instances of cardiac involvement in the context of chronic hematologic malignancies, such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL), are rarely observed. A 66-year-old male, with a history of stage IV CLL/SLL, presented with three weeks of worsening edema, orthopnea, and dyspnea. Two days after admission, an echocardiogram revealed a large circumferential pericardial effusion. Given the concern about early signs of pericardial tamponade, the patient underwent emergent pericardiocentesis with the removal of 700 cc of sanguineous fluid. A pericardial biopsy and flow cytometry of the pericardial fluid confirmed the diagnosis of CLL/SLL with pericardial involvement. There were no signs of large cell lymphoma transformation at that point. This rare case demonstrates the importance of considering cardiac complications in CLL/SLL patients who present with worsening edema, orthopnea, and dyspnea.
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