Primary Cardiac Lymphoma Presenting With Chronic Cough and Dyspnea.

BACKGROUND

Primary cardiac non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is rare tumor, accounting for 1.3% of cardiac neoplasia, with very poor prognosis if untreated.

CASE SUMMARY: A 68-year-old man with dyslipidemia presented with 3 weeks of dyspnea and 2 months of chronic cough, and was tachypneic without hemodynamic instability. Computed tomography scan and transthoracic echocardiography showed a 74 × 56-mm right atrial mass attached to the interatrial septum, and was invading the vena cava and compressing the right superior pulmonary vein. Biopsy confirmed a diagnosis of high-grade lymphoma B. Prednisone and chemotherapy (R-CHOP) were initiated. Follow-up computed tomography scan showed reduced mass and less compression of the superior vena cava.

DISCUSSION: Primary cardiac lymphoma is an extremely rare tumor. Only a handful of cases have been described. There is no defined treatment for this condition.