Cardiac metastasis after squamous cell carcinoma of the base of tongue.

OBJECTIVES

Metastases to the heart are rare. We report a case of squamous cell carcinoma of the base of tongue secondarily complicated with cardiac metastasis 6 months after surgical treatment resulted in successful local control.

METHODS

The lesion was found using computerized axial tomography in a patient with minimal cardiologic symptoms.

RESULTS

The patient died shortly due to complications of his metastatic disease. No curative treatment was possible.

CONCLUSIONS

Cardiac metastasis should be suspected when new cardiovascular symptoms are observed in patients with a history of head and neck neoplasm. The prognosis of the condition typically is inevitably fatal.