A Case of Right Atrial Obliteration Caused by Intracardiac Extension of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Atrial Extension: A Case Report

Hepatocellular carcinoma is a common malignancy usually associated with cirrhosis. Despite being a highly aggressive tumor with several cases of vascular invasion, metastatic disease to the heart is a rare condition. A 65-year-old male cirrhotic patient was admitted with dyspnea, ascites, and lower extremity edema. A transthoracic echocardiogram showed a large mass in the right atrium. Further imaging studies revealed the presence of hepatocellular carcinoma extending from the liver to the right atrium through the inferior vena cava. The cardiac mass was surgically removed to treat the symptoms of right heart failure, but unfortunately the patient died on the 30th day after surgery due to septic shock.

Usefulness of a novel transarterial chemoinfusion plus external-beam radiation therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with tumor thrombi in the inferior vena cava and right atrium: Case study

Background

Invasion beyond inferior vena cava (IVC) to right atrium (RA) is a rare complication in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and results in fatal oncologic emergencies, including pulmonary embolism and right heart failure.

Aim

As there is no gold standard treatment for unresectable HCC with tumor thrombi involving IVC and RA, we considered it valuable to assess safety and efficacy of a combination of hepatic arterial infusion chemoembolization (HAIC) therapy and external‐beam radiation therapy (EBRT).

Methods and results

The “New FP” was chosen as the HAIC therapy, in which the enhanced permeation and retention effect was achieved using a cisplatin‐Lipiodol suspension combined with continuous infusion of 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU). Sixteen patients with HCC with tumor thrombi in IVC, RA, and pulmonary arteries were enrolled. modified response evaluation criteria in solid tumors‐based evaluation of response to the combination treatment was as follows: complete response, 6.2% (1 patient); partial response, 81.3% (13 patients); stable disease, 12.5% (2 patients); progressive disease, 0%. The median overall survival time (MST) was 19.0 months. Notably, MST of patients receiving sequential sorafenib monotherapy (39.0 months) was significantly longer than that of the rest (15.3 months).

Conclusion

The combination of New FP and EBRT is an efficacious treatment option for unresectable HCC involving IVC and RA, complicated with pulmonary embolism. Sequential administration of molecular‐targeted drugs may prolong survival in such patients.

A Rare Case of Intracardiac Extension of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a Child

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common malignancy found in men and ninth most common in women, out of which 72.5% reported cases are from Asia. In children, it accounts for <2% cases worldwide with even rarer incidence of 1.2% involving intracardial extension. However, it presents with a high mortality rate with mean survival ranging from 1 to 4 months. The present case is an extremely rare case of intracardiac extension of HCC in a 3.5-year-old Asian girl with no history of hepatitis B infection presented at an advanced stage of HCC who succumbed within one month of presentation to the hospital.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma Migrating to the Right Atrium through the Inferior Vena Cava

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