Cardiac pleomorphic sarcoma after placement of Dacron graft

Abstract

Primary cardiac tumors, either benign or malignant, are very rare. e combined incidence is 0.002% on pooled autopsy series.1 e benign tumors account for 63% of primary cardiac tumors and include myxoma, the most common, and followed by papillary broelastoma, broma, and hemangioma. e remaining 37% are malignant tumors, essentially predominated by sarcomas.1 Although myxoma is the most common tumor arising in the left atrium, we present a case that shows that sarcoma can also arise from the same chamber. In fact, sarcomas could mimic cardiac myxoma.2 e cardiac sarcomas can have similar clinical presentation and more importantly can share similar histopathological features. Sarcomas may have myxoid features.2 Cases diagnosed as cardiac myxomas should be diligently worked up to rule out the presence of sarcomas with myxoid features. In addition, foreign bodies have been found to induce sarcomas in experimental animals.3,4 In particular, 2 case reports have described sarcomas arising in association with Dacron vascular prostheses in humans.5,6 We present here the case of a patient who was diagnosed with cardiac pleomorphic sarcoma 8 years after the placement of a Dacron graft.