Abstract
Background Cardiac non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is rare and has a poor prognosis. Here we report a
rare case mimicking pulmonary embolism.
Case Description A 38-year-old woman suffered from severe dyspnea after cesarean section. With the
clinical picture of fulminant central pulmonary embolism, lysis therapy was initiated.
Further deterioration necessitated extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support
and cardiosurgical intervention. Intraoperatively, a massive intravascular tumor obstructed
the pulmonary bifurcation and was found to be B-cell lymphoma. Aggressive excision
and pulmonary tree reconstruction improved the critical condition and initiated convalescence.
Conclusion High suspicion in central pulmonary embolism and early cardiosurgical therapy after
ineffective lysis are essential.
Keywords
cardiovascular surgery - cardiac anatomy/pathologic anatomy - histology - mediastinal
tumor
