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Large, mobile, transmitral metastastic osteosarcoma presenting as cardiac arrest

Echo Research & Practice volume 2, pages K29–K32 (2015)Cite this article

Abstract

The present case is an unusual one of a 21-year-old female with a primary osteosarcoma and left lung metastasis presenting following a witnessed pulseless electrical activity cardiac arrest. The electrocardiogram was unremarkable. A computed tomography pulmonary angiogram (CTPA) demonstrated a tumour within the left inferior pulmonary veins. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) revealed a severely hypokinetic left ventricle and a multi-lobulated, mobile mass arising from one of the left pulmonary veins which prolapsed to varying degrees on a beat-to-beat basis back and forth through the mitral valve into the left ventricle (during ventricular diastole) and retracted back into the left atrium (during ventricular systole). The present case demonstrates the importance of performing TTE in an emergency presentation, its influence on diagnosis and, in the present case, its usefulness in aiding the decision to withdraw life-sustaining treatments. It also highlights the importance of considering urgent intervention for a tumour seen to prolapse through the mitral valve because of the real risk of acute obstruction.

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Acknowledgements

Julian Gunn was the physician in charge of the patient’s care during her hospital admission and gives permission for publication of this case report.

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sector.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Cardiology, Northern General Hospital, Herries Road, Sheffield, S5 7AU, UK

    Clare M. Jackson MB ChB & Laurence O’Toole FRCP

  2. Critical Care, Northern General Hospital, Herries Road, Sheffield, S5 7AU, UK

    Helen E. Ellis MB ChB

  3. Department of Critical Care, Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Royal Hospital, Top Road, Calow, Chesterfield, S44 5BL, UK

    Mark C. Dodd MB ChB

Authors
  1. Clare M. Jackson MB ChB
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  2. Helen E. Ellis MB ChB
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  3. Mark C. Dodd MB ChB
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  4. Laurence O’Toole FRCP
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Clare M. Jackson MB ChB.

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Jackson, C.M., Ellis, H.E., Dodd, M.C. et al. Large, mobile, transmitral metastastic osteosarcoma presenting as cardiac arrest. Echo Res Pract 2, K29–K32 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1530/ERP-14-0106

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1530/ERP-14-0106

Echo Research & Practice

ISSN: 2055-0464

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