Solitary cardiac metastasis from primary oral squamous cell carcinoma presenting as ST-elevation MI

Abstract

Cardiac metastases from oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are rare, especially in the absence of systemic metastasis. We describe a case of a patient presenting with chest pain and ECG abnormalities concerning for ST-elevation myocardial infarction that eventually was found to have an incidental right ventricular mass on chest CT angiogram. Ultimately, she had an intracardiac echocardiography-assisted biopsy diagnosis of isolated cardiac metastasis from primary oral SCC. The extent of the disease precluded any surgical intervention, and the patient subsequently transitioned to hospice care. Most cardiac metastases remain clinically silent until widespread systemic disease leads to death. Thus, cardiac metastasis should be considered in a patient with SCC who develops new cardiovascular symptoms or conduction abnormalities.