Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma is a rare cartilaginous
neoplasm of an extraskeletal origin, and this predominately occurs in the head and neck, and also in the lower extremities. Fewer than twenty cases of cardiac
mesenchymal chondrosarcoma have so far been reported on. For the most part, the results of treatment for patients with this condition have been dismal. In this study, we describe a case of cardiac
mesenchymal chondrosarcoma that responded to
chemotherapy following surgical biopsy. A 46-year-old man was referred for evaluation of his
pleural effusions in both lungs. Chest computed tomography revealed an ovoid-shaped mass in the posterior wall of the patient's left atrium. The echocardiogram revealed a large ovoid-shaped immobile mass (11x6 cm(2)) in the pericardiac space, which was attached to the posterior wall of the left atrium. Emergency
pericardiostomy with closure
thoracostomy was performed. Seven days later, a
thoracotomy was performed for reduction and diagnosis of the cardiac mass. The pathological diagnosis was extraskeletal
mesenchymal chondrosarcoma of the heart.. Postoperative
chemotherapy was performed for the huge remaining mass with a combined regimen of
etoposide,
ifosfamide and
cisplatin. After 6 cycles, the patient showed a partial response without symptoms. Although cardiac
mesenchymal chondrosarcoma has been reported to be
chemotherapy-resistant with a short survival duration,
chemotherapy may prove to be an effective treatment modality.