Intracardiac metastasis of malignant melanoma. Literature review and case report

The authors report the case of a 70 year old man with a past history of nucleation of the left eye thirty years previously, in whom two masses, one in the right atrium and the other in the left ventricle, were chance findings on transthoracic echocardiography. After surgery, during which the right atrial tumour was removed and the left ventricular tumour biopsied, histology confirmed the malignant melanomatous nature of the tumours. Further investigations did not detect a primary tumour or other secondary ones. The choroidal origin of these metastases cannot be excluded. After 5 years follow-up, the patient remains in good general condition and the tumours have not recurred or progressed. The literature is reviewed with reference to this case report.