Intravenous leiomyomatosis with intracardiac extension managed by one-stage surgical excision: a case presentation

Intravenous leiomyomatosis is characterized by the extension of pathologically benign smooth muscle tumor into venous channels. Its extension into the heart is a very rare occurrence, which may lead to heart failure and occasionally sudden death. Due to its rarity, the condition is poorly understood and often misdiagnosed. We report a case of intravenous leiomyomatosis with intracardiac extension in a 40 years old woman who underwent hysterectomy for uterine leiomyoma (one year earlier), managed successfully through one-stage surgical approach with main focus on its imaging features. The diagnosis of intravenous leiomyomatosis should be considered in women who present with cardiac symptoms associated with a right atrial mass and who also have a pelvic mass or have previously undergone hysterectomy because of uterine leiomyoma.