Incidental Identification of Right Atrial Mass Using Bedside Ultrasound: Cardiac Angiosarcoma
Abstract
Background: Emergency ultrasound is now used in both community and academic hospitals for rapid diagnosis and treatment of life-threatening conditions. Bedside emergency echocardiography can rapidly identify significant pathology such as pericardial effusions and tamponade, right ventricle dilatation due to pulmonary embolism, and cardiac hypokinesis, and aid in the diagnosis and management of patients in emergency department (ED).
Case Report: A 41-year-old man presented twice to the ED with history of abdominal pain and was diagnosed with primary cardiac angiosarcoma with point-of-care ultrasound.
Conclusion: This case is illustrative of how bedside cardiac ultrasound in the ED can dramatically change a patient’s hospital course. [West J Emerg Med. 2011;12(4):478–480.]