Coronary intervention for severe stenosis in the ostial right coronary artery with cardiac angiosarcoma: a case report

Background Although rare, angiosarcoma is the most common type of cardiac primary malignancy. This disease can cause life-threatening complications and the prognosis remains poor. There is no standard approach to care, and clinical judgement is exercised on a case-by-case basis. Tumour progression causes serious complications, such as heart failure and vascular disruption. Case summary A 64-year-old Japanese woman presenting with a right atrial tumour was referred to our department. Tumour biopsy revealed that the patient suffered from angiosarcoma. We performed a lumpectomy to excise the tumour, but due to tissue adhesions in and around the right atrium, the malignancy could not be completely removed. After 3 years of chemotherapy, the patient was admitted to our hospital with increased chest pain. Emergency coronary angiogram revealed severe stenosis of the ostial right coronary artery. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and computed tomography suggested coronary compression due to cardiac angiosarcoma. In this study, we report a unique case of advanced cardiac angiosarcoma, presenting as unstable angina, which was successfully treated with percutaneous coronary intervention using stent implantation. Discussion Due to the rarity of cardiac primary angiosarcoma, many symptoms are misdiagnosed until mechanical complications arise, such as coronary compression. The clinical course and various imaging modalities are useful for differentiating angiosarcomas from coronary stenosis.