[Primary malignant lymphoma of the heart. Description of a case and review of the literature].

Primary cardiac tumors are rare. Approximately 25% of primary cardiac tumors are malignant, with the majority of these being sarcomas. Primary lymphoma of the heart is a very rare malignancy, usually recognized at autopsy or fatal within a few weeks of diagnosis. we report the case of a patient with diffuse large uncleaved cell lymphoma of the heart who had dyspnea, distention of the neck veins, edema of the face and arms. The diagnosis in this patient was aided by 2D-echocardiography, CT scan of the chest and superior vena caval angiography. The diagnosis was confirmed at operation and by histological examination. Surgical procedures were only palliative and aimed at prolonging life. However, prognosis remained severe and unchanged.