Primary cardiac angiosarcoma: diagnostic utility of computed tomography and cardiac magnetic resonance

Primary cardiac tumors are infrequent, but their clinical presentation is variable and their associated mortality is high. By the time they produce symptoms and the diagnosis is made, they have usually progressed to a large mass causing considerable hemodynamic compromise. Although Doppler echocardiography is the usual technique for the initial diagnosis, magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography can offer more anatomically useful information. We describe three patients with cardiac angiosarcoma, two in the right atrium and one in the left ventricle, the latter diagnosed by computed tomography-guided biopsy. All three patients underwent surgery, but the short-term course was fatal in all cases.