Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-25-2025
Publication Title
Diagnostics
Abstract
Background and Clinical Significance: Metastatic breast cancer is a major global health burden, with common metastatic sites including the bones, lungs, liver, and brain. Cardiac metastasis is rare and often clinically silent, leading to underdiagnosis. Recognizing cardiac involvement, even when asymptomatic, is important for understanding the full extent of disease and ensuring optimal patient care. Case Presentation: We report the case of a woman with advanced breast carcinoma who showed no clinical or imaging evidence of cardiac involvement throughout the course of her illness. Following her death from progressive metastatic disease, an autopsy revealed metastatic carcinoma infiltrating the myocardium and epicardium without gross cardiac abnormalities. Histological and immunohistochemical analysis confirmed the tumor’s origin from breast carcinoma. Conclusions: This case illustrates the potential for clinically occult cardiac metastasis in breast cancer and underscores the importance of pathological examination in detecting hidden metastatic sites. The absence of cardiac symptoms or imaging abnormalities highlights the diagnostic challenge of this rare manifestation and the need for greater awareness in managing advanced malignancies.
PubMed ID
41515566
Volume
16
Issue
1
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Chen, Yaomin; Wang, Haibo; Fu, Zhiyan; and Connor, Ellen Elizabeth, "Incidental Cardiac Metastasis in Breast Carcinoma" (2025). School of Medicine Faculty Publications. 4408.
https://digitalscholar.lsuhsc.edu/som_facpubs/4408
10.3390/diagnostics16010071
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Cardiovascular Diseases Commons, Diagnosis Commons, Neoplasms Commons, Oncology Commons, Pathology Commons