Intracardiac yolk sac tumor and dysrhythmia as an etiology of pediatric syncope

An unexpected intracardiac location of yolk sac tumor

PURPOSE

In the pediatric population, intracardiac tumors are rare, usually benign, and mostly diagnosed as rhabdomyoma. Yolk sac tumors (YSTs) are a rare malignant type of germ celltumor that typically occurs in gonads. It can also be seen in midline locations but the intracardiac location is extremely rare.

METHODS

The case herein comprises an asymptomatic 2.5-year-old girl with a murmur detected under general examination.

RESULTS

Echocardiography showed a 3 × 3-cm mass in the right ventricle. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging revealed a smooth contoured mass in the right ventricle lumen, which was compatible with rhabdomyoma. After surgical resection, the histopathological results showed a YST. This diagnosis was supported by high values of subsequent serum alpha feto-protein. There was no evidence for any other primary location.

CONCLUSION

When an intracardiac mass is observed, a YST should be considered. The increase in the alpha feto-protein level can help in the differential diagnosis.

Right Ventricular Heart Failure from a Cardiac Yolk Sac Tumor

Patient: Male, 46

Final Diagnosis: Yolk Sac tumor

Symptoms: Shortness of breath

Medication: —

Clinical Procedure: Cardiac MRI • tumor resection

Specialty: Cardiology

A case of primary intracardiac yolk sac tumour with extracardiac extension

Primary cardiac tumour is a rare entity as secondaries in the heart are more common. A 2-year-old child was having repeated respiratory tract infection with poor oral intake and poor activity for 3 months. His symptoms progressed from New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class II to IV. On evaluation he had an intracardiac mass with extracardiac extension. Emergency tumour excision under deep hypothermic circulatory arrest was performed with provisional diagnosis of sarcoma. But Serum markers, histopathological examination and immunohistochemistry confirmed diagnosis of yolk sac tumour. Postoperative recovery was uneventful and the child was receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. Extensive literature review revealed only four cases of primary intracardiac yolk sac tumour published till date. Our case report is unique, in that intracardiac tumour had extracardiac extension by infiltration through right atrial wall. Previous four reports mention purely intracardiac mass.

Case report of death from falling: Did heart tumor cause syncope?

A healthy man in his 30s was working on the balustrade of stairs on the second floor. He suddenly fell downstairs without saying anything. On emergency hospitalization, chest echogram showed left hemothorax. Cardiac echogram showed a floating mass from the mitral valve in the left ventricle and severe mitral regurgitation. Surgery for hemothorax and pulmonary contusion was immediately undertaken. However, bleeding from pulmonary contusion could not be controlled and he underwent cardiopulmonary arrest. Autopsy showed a white, elastic, pendulous mass in the left atrium and a white mass in the lower lobe of the left lung. Tumor histology showed a reticular pattern, Schiller-Duval bodies, eosinophilic hyaline globules, and positive staining for α-fetoprotein. We diagnosed primary lung yolk sac tumor with metastatic intracardiac yolk sac tumor, a rare and highly malignant germ cell tumor. It usually arises in the ovaries and testes, and intracardiac yolk sac tumor is rare. Intracavitary tumors induce obstruction of inflow into and outflow from the ventricular cavity. The most common clinical presentation is dyspnea and syncope. In the present case, metastatic cardiac yolk sac tumor might have disturbed cardiac outflow and affected hemodynamics, probably causing syncope. Unfortunately, he was in a high place at that time and fell to receive pulmonary contusion that led to death. Autopsy may sometimes reveal latent diseases which might be related to the cause of death. We should perform autopsy thoroughly to diagnose not only the cause of death but also the factors leading to death.

Asymptomatic complete atrioventricular block in a 13-year-old girl

Atrioventricular (AV) block is a delay or an interruption in the transmission of an impulse from atria to ventricles due to an anatomic or a functional impairment in the conduction system. Atrioventricular block may be congenital or acquired. Electrocardiographic screening of asymptomatic school-aged children (median, 12.4 years) in Japan found the prevalence of a third-degree AV block to be 2 per 100,000. We report a case of asymptomatic complete AV block of unknown etiology in a 13-year-old child who did not require pacemaker placement. The importance of recognizing an asymptomatic complete AV block in the pediatric population, the classification and controversies of pacemaker placement, and the complications of pacemaker placement are discussed.