Primary lymphoma of the heart. A case report and review of the literature

Primary cardiac lymphoma (PCL) is a rare and usually fatal neoplasm, which may cause syncope, arrhythmia, heart failure and pericardial effusion as presenting clinical complaints. A case of PCL in a 72-year-old man with moderate aortic stenosis is presented. The patient was investigated because of pericardial effusion and diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was obtained by open-chest biopsy of the heart. Fatal ventricular arrhythmia developed the day after the first course of chemotherapy. Clinical presentations and diagnostic approach of this rare tumour are discussed. While chemotherapy is the only effective treatment of PCL, early post-chemotherapy phase should be considered critical in patients with PCL, as suggested by other reported fatal complications in this period. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.