Article Text
Abstract
Most cardiac tumours are secondary to metastasis from extracardiac tumours. Obtaining biopsy from intracardiac lesions, especially from the left heart, is challenging, and the conventionally used methods are invasive and involve significant risks such as arrhythmias, tamponade, valvular damage and tumour embolisation. Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) is a minimally invasive procedure used to biopsy lymph nodes or mass lesions adjacent to the airways. Its safety and usefulness have been well established. Use of EBUS has expanded to several novel indications over the last few years. Here we report a case of a young woman with suspected metastatic disease to the heart, in whom traditional methods of biopsy had failed to give a diagnosis. EBUS-guided transbronchial intracardiac needle aspiration was safely performed from the left atrial mass lesion to obtain tissue for histopathological diagnosis. A diagnosis of metastatic adenocarcinoma with tumour embolisation to the heart was established.
- Respiratory medicine
- Lung cancer (oncology)
- Ultrasonography
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Footnotes
Contributors VNM managed the patient and reviewed the manuscript. VPP and CRV managed the patient and drafted the manuscript. SS performed the cytology and histopathology examination.
Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.
Competing interests None declared.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.