TWO CASES OF PERICARDIAL METASTASIS FROM GASTRIC CANCER WITH CARDIAC TAMPONADE

Abstract

We report two cases of pericardial metastasis from gastric cancer with cardiac tamponade. Although pericardial metastasis from gastric cancer is rare, cardiac tamponade induces serious condition. Patient 1, a 52-year-old woman, developed cardiac tamponade 4 months after intraadominal metastasis which had occurred 22 months after surgery for gastric cancer. Patient 2, a 68-year-old man, developed cardiac tamponade 2 months after metastasis to the neck, mediastinal, and abdominal lymph nodes which had occurred 30 months after surgery for gastric cancer. We performed pericardial puncture and/or production of subxiphoid pericardial window after the devolopment of cardiac tamponade. However, they died 4 and one month after the onset of tamponade, respectively. There have been no patients who recovered from the condition by pericardial puncture and production of subxiphoid pericardial window, and local infusion of antineoplastic agents and symptomatic treatments should favor the importance of QOL in these patients. The development of new antineoplastic agents and new other treatments are expected in the future.