Cardiac tamponade as the first clinical manifestation of the lung cancer

Abstract

The most common causes of cancer pericardial effusion, leading to cardiac tamponade are metastatic tumors, especially metastatic lung cancer — adenocarcinoma. Cardiac tamponade is rarely caused by primary tumors (mesothelioma). Cardiac tamponade is usually a consequence of a disseminated neoplastic process and it is very rarely the first clinical manifestation of neoplastic diseases. The presence of cardiac tamponade shows an advanced grade of neoplastic process and it is connected with poor clinical outcome. Therapeutic options are pericardiectomy, pricardiocentesis, radiotherapy and intrapericardial chemotherapy. However, the median survival time, from the moment of diagnosis, is estimated from 7 days to 12 months. This paper, presents a case of 69-year old patient with cardiac tamponade as the first manifestation of disseminated neoplastic disease.

Onkol. Prak. Klin. 2011; 7, 1: 37–39