Metastatic Melanoma to the Heart

Melanoma is a common neoplasm with a propensity to metastasize to the heart. Although cardiac metastasis is rarely diagnosed ante mortem, using a multimodality approach, several imaging findings may be seen. Echocardiography is often the initial imaging method used to detect cardiac metastases and t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current problems in diagnostic radiology 2012-09, Vol.41 (5), p.159-164
Main Authors: Allen, Brian C., MD, Mohammed, Tan Lucien, MD, FCCP, Tan, Carmela D., MD, Miller, Dylan V., MD, Williamson, Eric E., MD, Kirsch, Jacobo S., MD
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Echocardiography - methods
Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
Heart - diagnostic imaging
Heart Neoplasms - diagnosis
Heart Neoplasms - secondary
Humans
Internal Medicine
Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods
Melanoma - diagnosis
Melanoma - secondary
Myocardium - pathology
Positron-Emission Tomography - methods
Radiology
Radiopharmaceuticals
Tomography, X-Ray Computed - methods
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Summary:Melanoma is a common neoplasm with a propensity to metastasize to the heart. Although cardiac metastasis is rarely diagnosed ante mortem, using a multimodality approach, several imaging findings may be seen. Echocardiography is often the initial imaging method used to detect cardiac metastases and their complications. On computed tomography, intraluminal filling defects and myocardial/pericardial nodules may be seen. On magnetic resonance imaging, metastatic melanoma is classically hyperintense on T1 images and hypointense on T2 images, a result of the T1 shortening of melanin; however, this is seen in a minority of cases. As melanoma metastases are fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose avid, fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography may also be used to detect cardiac metastases.
ISSN:0363-0188
1535-6302
DOI:10.1067/j.cpradiol.2011.09.001