Intracardiac metastasis from known cervical cancer: a case report and literature review

Cardiac metastasis in uterine cervical cancer : A systematic review and case study

PURPOSE

Cardiac metastasis from cervical cancer is rare and only scarcely documented. We aim to present a new case and systematically summarize the available literature.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Central, and ClinicalTrials.gov were systematically searched following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) criteria. Results were screened via title, abstract, and full text. Additionally, the reference lists of all papers chosen for the review were screened.

RESULTS

Eighty-one papers were identified, describing 86 cases in total. Cardiac metastasis occurred at all stages of cervical cancer and in all age groups. Median time from initial diagnosis to diagnosis of cardiac metastasis was 12 months. Patients mainly complained of dyspnea and chest pain, 60.8% had pathologic ECG (electrocardiographic) findings. The cardiac mass was most frequently detected by transthoracic echography. The most common tumor histology was squamous cell carcinoma. Chemotherapy and surgical interventions were the main treatment modalities. Median survival after diagnosis of cardiac metastasis was 3 months.

CONCLUSION

This largest review on cardiac metastases from cervical cancer confirmed the heart as a very infrequent site of metastasis. There are < 100 cases described in the literature, with very poor prognosis and undefined clinical management.

Malignant Pericardial Effusion from Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Case Study

BACKGROUND Cervical cancer ranks fourth globally among women's cancers. Squamous cell carcinoma constitutes 70% of cervical cancer cases, often metastasizing to lungs and paraaortic nodes. Uncommon sites include the brain, skin, spleen, and muscle, while pericardial fluid metastasis is highly rare. We report a case of squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix that was metastatic to the pericardium and was detected on cytologic evaluation of pericardial fluid. CASE REPORT A 42-year-old woman who was previously treated for stage III squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix presented with symptoms of cough, fever, and shortness of breath for 8 days, and chest pain for 3 days. Clinical workup revealed pericardial effusion, with spread to the lungs and mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes. Cytological analysis of the fluid showed malignant cells, consistent with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated cells positive for p63 and p40, while negative for GATA-3, D2-40, calretinin, and WT1. These findings in conjunction with patient's known history of cervical squamous cell carcinoma was consistent with a cytologic diagnosis of metastatic squamous cell carcinoma to pericardial fluid. CONCLUSIONS History and clinical correlation plays a vital role in determining the primary site causing malignant pericardial effusions. While the occurrence of cervical cancer metastasizing to the pericardium is uncommon, it should be considered, particularly in cases involving high-grade, invasive tumors, recurrences, or distant metastases. This possibility should be included in the list of potential diagnoses when encountering pericardial effusions with squamous cells in female patients.

A Rare Encounter With Unusual Metastasis: Metastatic Right Ventricular Tumor Secondary to Cervical Cancer

Metastasis of cervical cancer to the heart is rare. Cervical carcinoma typically spreads to the lungs, liver, bones, and lymph nodes via hematogenous, lymphatic, transvenous, or direct extension. Cardiac metastasis from cervical carcinoma is uncommon and portends a dismal prognosis, with mean survival under six months post-diagnosis. A high index of suspicion and multimodal imaging is imperative for prompt diagnosis and improved outcomes in these patients. Here, we report a rare case where a 41-year-old African American female with stage IIIB cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) presented with exertional dyspnea and chest pain concerning pulmonary embolism (PE). Computed tomography angiography showed no PE but revealed a right ventricular (RV) mass and diffuse pulmonary nodules. Echocardiography suggested an RV tumor versus a thrombus. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a large RV infiltrative mass favoring metastasis over thrombus. A biopsy of one of the pulmonary nodules confirmed metastatic SCC. Despite treatment, the prognosis was poor.

A rare case of cardiac metastasis of squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix with a review of existing case reports and treatment modalities

•Cardiac metastasis is a rare complication of squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix.•Biologic agents may be a useful treatment modality for cardiac metastasis of squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix.•Multidisciplinary approach is required to treat cardiac metastasis of squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix.

Intracardiac metastasis from unknown uterine cervical cancer with severe thrombocytopenia

INTRODUCTION

Cardiac metastasis is relatively common in malignant neoplasms, such as lung cancers, breast cancers, melanomas, lymphomas, and leukemias. In contrast, cardiac metastasis of uterine cervical cancer, solitary metastasis to the heart, and tumors inducing severe thrombocytopenia are rare.

CASE REPORT

The present patient was a 52-year-old female who was diagnosed with a solitary cardiac tumor prior to uterine cervical cancer and presented with severe thrombocytopenia. Our case had two remarkable aspects: 1) successful treatment under the condition of severe thrombocytopenia in association with the presence of a cardiac tumor, and survival without recurrence of the carcinoma one year after surgery; and 2) a solitary cardiac metastatic tumor larger than the primary uterine cervix carcinoma.

COMMENT

we report an extremely rare case of solitary cardiac metastasis of uterine cervical cancer, which wassuccessfully treated. One year after cardiac surgery, the patient is alive without recurrence of the carcinoma.

Pulmonary Tumor Embolism Due to Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Uterine Cervix: A Case Report

BACKGROUND/AIM

We report on a case of pulmonary tumor embolism caused by squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A 60-year-old female diagnosed with stage IVB (cT4N1M1) squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix was admitted to our institution with a chief complaint of progressive dyspnea that developed within a few days after admission.

RESULTS

A chest CT scan showed dilated pulmonary arteries, right ventricular enlargement and mosaic ground-glass opacities in both lungs. An echocardiogram revealed elevated right ventricular pressure and a floppy mass in the right ventricle. Pulmonary tumor embolism was highly suspected. However, she died from respiratory failure on the fourth day after admission. Autopsy revealed diffuse tumor emboli in bilateral pulmonary arteries and arterioles.

CONCLUSION

Pulmonary tumor embolism should be considered when patients with malignant disease develop unexplained dyspnea, hypoxemia, and pulmonary hypertension.

Right ventricular metastatic tumor from a primary carcinoma of uterine cervix: A cause of pulmonary embolism

The presence of intracavitary cardiac metastasis from squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix is extremely rare. The diagnosis is made almost exclusively postmortem. Apart from causing intracardiac obstruction, it can present as pulmonary emboli and the prognosis is extremely poor. It is important to suspect this diagnosis in patient with recurrent pulmonary emboli. Due to the rarity of this condition it is very difficult to standardize care for these patients. However, it is possible that aggressive therapy may lengthen patients' survival and quality of life. We present a case of isolated intracavitary cardiac metastasis arising from a squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix, 44-year-old woman, diagnosed as stage complaint of fatigue and dyspnea on mild exertion. The echocardiogram showed a mass in the right ventricle and suspicious pulmonary embolism. We took an aggressive therapeutic approach. The pathological examination of the resected tissue revealed metastatic squamous cell carcinoma.

Metastatic right ventricular mass with intracavitary obliteration

Metastatic cardiac tumors are more common than the primary cardiac tumors. Cervical cancer metastasizing outside of the pelvis is commonly spread to the lungs, liver, bones and lymph nodes than to the heart. Right-sided metastasis to the heart is more common than to the left side. Intramural spread is more common than intracavitary growth of metastatic cardiac tumors leading to delayed clinical presentation. Intracavitary mass can be confused with intracavitary thrombus which can be seen in the setting of pulmonary embolism. Transthoracic echocardiography plays a major role in the decision making and management of pulmonary embolism, and this modality can also be used to diagnose cardiac masses. Other modalities like TEE, cardiac CT, cardiac MRI and PET-CT scan have further utility in delineating these masses. This may help to plan appropriate management of the right ventricular mass particularly in cases where the patient history and CT pulmonary angiography results favor the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. We present the case of a 49-year-old woman with a history of supracervical hysterectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy on oral estrogen therapy who was admitted with complaints of pleuritic chest pain and respiratory insufficiency after a long flight. Initial work-up showed sub-segmental pulmonary embolus in the right posterior lower lobe pulmonary artery, and the patient was managed on intravenous heparin. Lack of appropriate response to standard therapy led to further evaluation. Multimodality imaging and biopsies revealed a large right intracavitary ventricular metastatic squamous cell tumor, with the cervix as the primary source.

Biventricular metastatic invasion from cervical squamous cell carcinoma

Metastasis to the heart has been previously described with primary lung and breast carcinoma, lymphoma, leukaemia, mesothelioma and melanoma. However, left-ventricular cardiac metastasis from primary cervical squamous cell carcinoma is poorly described. This report describes the clinical presentation of a patient with cardiac metastatic invasion from cervical cancer.

Cardiac metastasis in cervical cancer

Metastasis of cervical carcinoma to the heart is uncommon. Most cases are found during autopsy. These type of metastasis occur mostly in epicardium and myocardium. We present a case report of a patient with carcinoma cervix stage IIIB who presented to the hospital with pitting edema of right lower limb, post 1 year of completion of treatment. PET-CT scan showed FDG avid inguinal, iliac and retroperitoneal lymph nodes, which were bulky on right side causing pedal edema. There was FDG avid uptake seen in right atrial wall and in the atrioventricular groove indicative of metastasis to the heart. Patient refused biopsy or further treatment and hence received best supportive care only. She had a disease free survival of 12 months, and survived for 11 months after being diagnosed with recurrence. Overall survival was 23 months.

Solitary cardiac metastasis of uterine cervical cancer with antemortem diagnosis: A case report and literature review

Cardiac metastasis of uterine cervical cancer with antemortem diagnosis is extremely rare. Therefore, its landscape epidemiology has not been well elucidated to date. In the present study, a case of solitary cardiac metastasis of uterine cervical cancer diagnosed antemortem is reported, and a review of the currently available literature (which includes 18 cases of cardiac metastasis of uterine cervical cancer) is conducted. In January 2013, a 78-year-old woman with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the uterine cervix (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IIIb) underwent definitive radiotherapy at Gunma University Hospital (Gunma, Japan). Follow-up examination at 5 months after completion of the treatment indicated no evidence of recurrence or metastasis. In April 2014, the patient reported epigastric discomfort and general malaise. Electrocardiogram suggested myocardial dysfunction. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed the presence of a mass occupying the right ventricle and pericardial effusion. Cine magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a filling defect in the right ventricle, and transcatheter biopsy confirmed SCC. The patient was diagnosed with a solitary cardiac metastasis of uterine cervical cancer. Despite aggressive medical therapy, the patient succumbed to disease 31 days after admission to hospital. A review of the current literature revealed that 84% of cases of cardiac metastasis develop within 2 years of completion of the initial treatment, and that electrocardiogram and echocardiography reveal findings of myocardial dysfunction and the presence of a mass in the right ventricle, respectively. A treatment strategy for cardiac metastasis of uterine cervical cancer has not been standardized thus far, and the prognosis is very poor, as the majority of patients succumbed to disease within 1 year. In summary, the current case and the literature review conducted in the present study suggest that: i) Cardiac metastasis should be included in the differential diagnosis in cases with nonspecific complaints such as epigastric discomfort and general malaise when patients have a history of uterine cervical cancer, particularly within the previous 2 years; and ii) electrocardiogram and echocardiography are convenient and effective modalities for the diagnosis of cardiac metastasis of uterine cervical cancer.

Intracardiac Metastasis From Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

A 56-year-old female with history of stage IIA adenosquamous lung carcinoma treated 13 months prior to presentation with lobectomy, mediastinal lymph node dissection, and adjuvant chemotherapy, presented for several weeks of worsening dyspnea. Exam was non-focal aside from tachycardia. Computed tomography of the chest revealed a large 4 cm × 5 cm mass in the bilateral ventricular myocardium. There was also evidence of metastatic disease elsewhere in the body, including a supraclavicular lymph node that was positive for metastatic adenosquamous lung carcinoma. She started whole heart radiotherapy and was to commence chemotherapy but passed away. This report discusses important aspects of diagnosis of this not uncommon condition that many oncologists may come across. We also discuss differential diagnosis of an isolated intracardiac mass as first-diagnosis presentations, and discuss the great importance of multidisciplinary cardio-oncologic management and clinical prioritization.

A case of cardiac metastasis from uterine cervical carcinoma

Cases of cardiac metastasis from uterine cervical carcinoma are rare. While they are occasionally found on autopsy, antemortem recognition is extremely rare. We confirmed a case of cardiac metastasis from cervical carcinoma antemortem, because we observed a decrease in platelet count during the course of treatment. The patient was a 27-year-old woman diagnosed with stage Ib1 uterine cervical carcinoma. Radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed. Para-aortic lymph node metastasis was detected on positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET-CT). Adjuvant chemotherapy was started, and most of the metastatic lesions disappeared. Pelvic lymph node recurrence was suspected on PET-CT during continued chemotherapy; therefore, treatment was shifted to radiation therapy. Tumor shrinkage was recognized, and the initial therapy was completed. A noticeable decrease in platelet count was recognized seven months after treatment. Multidetector CT was performed, and an intracardiac tumor was detected. The patient did not desire any further treatment. She died three weeks after the intracardiac tumor was confirmed. Few previous autopsy studies have reported cardiac metastasis from cervical carcinoma. Thus, it is necessary to consider the possibility of cardiac metastasis for patients diagnosed with terminal cervical carcinoma.

Cardiac metastasis of uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma: A case report and review of the literature

A 48-year-old woman was referred to the cardiology department due to a large mobile mass in the right ventricle. The patient had undergone radical hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for a uterine squamous cell carcinoma approximately 3.5 years before. In order to protect the patient from circulatory collapse, the intracardiac mass was resected surgically. A diagnosis of cardiac metastasis of the uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma was confirmed histologically. Herein we discuss the possible therapeutic approach to and prognosis of this rare condition by reviewing 24 papers on intracardiac uterine cancer metastasis published in the past 10 years. <Learning objective: A woman who had undergone radical hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for a uterine squamous cell carcinoma 3.5 years before was referred to the cardiology department due to a large mass in the right ventricle. The diagnosis of cardiac metastasis of the uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma was confirmed histologically. Although metastasis of cervical carcinoma to the cardiac cavity is rare, we should not overlook this possibility during the post-operative patient follow-up.>.

Intracardiac metastasis of squamous cell carcinoma of the penis

Penile cancer shows variable incidence in different countries with a higher prevalence in developing countries. Squamous cell carcinoma represents the most common histologic type. The seventh decade of life corresponds to the mean age at diagnosis, but it is not an unusual diagnosis among young adults. Most cases present as “in situ” neoplasia or loco regional disease; however, systemic disseminated disease occurs via lymphatic and/or hematogeneous routes. The lymph nodes, liver, and lungs are the most frequently involved sites whereas the heart constitutes an exceptional and atypical site for penile cancer metastases. We report a case of a 79-year-old patient who presented a metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the penis with intracardiac dissemination. The patient had a past history of cardiomyopathy, which required an artificial cardiac pacemaker implantation. He had been treated 1 year before with a partial penectomy but was admitted for emasculation due to the cancer relapse. During the postoperative period, he experienced sudden respiratory distress and died. The autopsy findings showed metastatic disease into the cardiac right chambers, pulmonary tumoral thrombi, and pulmonary hilar involvement. The authors call attention to the possibility of the presence of pacing leads, cardiomyopathy and the altered low blood flow in the right chambers, as predisposing factors for the tumoral seeding in this case.