A case of recurrent breast cancer causing malignant pericardial effusion successfully managed with instillations of cisplatin

: A 44-year-old female patient was admitted to our hospital because of dyspnea caused by malignant cardiac tamponade 2 years and 8 months after standard radical mastectomy for a stage III breast cancer. Malignant pericardial effusion was diagnosed by echocardiography and differentiated by cytology. Pericardiocentesis improved her hemodynamics and 9 consecutive pericardial instillations of cisplatin (10 mg) prevented reaccumulation of pericardial effusion, which had never reoccurred until she died of breast cancer one year and 6 months later. Therefore, it is suggested that instillation of cisplatin is one of the beneficial alternatives to surgical treatment.