Cardiac tamponade resulting from recurrent small-cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix temporarily responding to CE/CAV chemotherapy: report of a case.

A case of recurrent small-cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix, initially presenting with cardiac tamponade, is reported. After pericardiotomy, the patient was treated with an alternating combination of chemotherapy, which included cisplatin plus etoposide (CE) and cyclophosphamide, adriamycin plus vincristine (CAV). A partial response, with relief of a cough and diminishing metastatic pulmonary lesions, was noted from serial chest roentgenographs after the initial three cycles of chemotherapy. The patient did not receive any further treatment and the recurrent cough and dyspnea were noted two months later. In spite of the same chemotherapeutic regimen and chest radiotherapy, the patient died nine months after the initial diagnosis of metastasis.