Right Ventriculostomy for Resection of Cardiac Metastasis from Cervical Cancer / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

Cardiac metastasis from cervical cancer is rare. We herein present a case involving a 54-year-old woman with cervical cancer who was undergoing radiotherapy for left supraclavicular lymph node metastasis. The patient was admitted to the hospital because of shortness of breath. Transthoracic echocardiography showed a large mass in the right ventricle. To rescue the patient from circulatory collapse, we surgically resected the intracardiac mass via a right ventricular incision parallel to the posterior descending artery and left anterior descending artery. This approach prevented right ventricular outflow tract obstruction and perioperative pulmonary embolization, which could have led to death. The intracardiac mass was diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma. After hospital discharge, the patient underwent chemotherapy. An echocardiography performed 3 months postoperatively showed recurrence of the cardiac metastasis, and the patient died 5 months later. Cardiac metastasis in the right ventricle can present as pulmonary embolization. Although rare, most cases of metastasis from cervical carcinoma to the heart have an extremely poor prognosis.

A Case of Non-Bacterial Thrombotic Endocarditis with Atypical Massive Vegitation / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

The patient was a 68-year-old woman. She was diagnosed with uterine cancer after experiencing irregular genital bleeding. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed a 30 mm left ventricular mass and splenic infarction, and head MRI showed multiple cerebral infarctions. The patient was suffering from systemic embolism caused by the cardiac mass, and we decided to perform cardiac mass removal prior to uterine cancer treatment. A yellowish-white thrombus-like mass attached to the mitral valve, subvalvular tissue, and left ventricular endocardium was removed by a trans-septal approach under cardiopulmonary bypass. Pathological examination revealed that the mass was a fibrin-based thrombus with almost no inflammatory findings, we diagnosised non-bacterial thrombotic endocarditis (NBTE). Postoperatively, the patient developed Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, and treatment for uterine cancer, was delayed. Hypercoagulability was not controlled well, and she developed recurrence of left ventricle vegitation, acute arterial occlusion of the lower extremities and inferior vena cava thrombosis, making active intervention for uterine cancer difficult. The patient was treated palliatively and died on POD 36. NBTE tends to be characterized by multiple small growths, but giant vegetation may also occur as in this case. Unless the primary disease causing the hypercoagulability is treated, recurrence of NBTE is possible, and prompt treatment of the primary disease is required.

Successful Surgical Treatment of Isolated Iliac Aneurysm with Arterio-enteric Fistula / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

A 76-year-old male was admitted to our hospital because of melena. However, no remarkable findings of rupture were shown by enhanced CT scan and angiography. On the 9th day of admission, he fell into a state of shock because of sudden massive bloody intestinal discharge. Colonofiberscopic findings revealed a primary arterio-enteric fistula. Therefore, an emergency operation was undertaken. Following aneurysmectomy, colostomy was performed in the descending colon. Right axillo-femoral artery bypass was finally performed as an extra-anatomical bypass to secure the right leg blood flow.

Successful Pericardiectomy for Acute Constrictive Bacterial Pericarditis in the Active Phase of Infection / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

Constrictive pericarditis is usually a chronic inflammatory process. We encountered a case of acute constrictive pericarditis caused by infectious pericarditis in a patient receiving pericardial drainage for pericardial effusion. We performed emergency pericardiectomy and primary closure in the active phase of infection. An 82-year-old man was referred to our hospital for investigation and management of pericardial effusion. The patient was admitted, and continuous pericardial drainage was performed. After 2 days of drainage, he had fever, and after 7 days, there was purulent exudate in the drain tube. Methicillin-sensitive <i>Staphylococcus aureus </i>was identified by culture of the purulent exudate. Despite administration of antibiotics, he developed malaise, anorexia, and generalized edema, and he also began to suffer from dyspnea. Computed tomography demonstrated infected pericardial effusion, while a right ventricular pressure study showed a “dip and plateau” pattern. Pericardial drainage and irrigation were done via a small subxyphoid skin insicion. However, his hemodynamics did not improve and oliguria was noted. Because more extensive drainage was necessary, we performed emergency on-pump beating pericardiectomy via median sternotomy. Along with administration of antibiotics, continuous mediastinal irrigation with saline was done via mediastinal, pericardial, and chest drain tubes for 7 days after the operation. His postoperative course was relatively uneventful, and he was discharged after recovery.