Background: Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) complicates up to 7% of malignancies, the commonest solid organ association being adenocarcinoma. Transitional Cell Carcinoma (TCC) has rarely been associated with DIC. Case presentation: A 74-year-old woman with TCC bladder and DIC was found to have a cardiac lesion suspicious for metastatic disease. The DIC improved with infusion of plasma and administration of Vitamin K, however the cardiac lesion was deemed inoperable and chemotherapy inappropriate; given the patients functional status. We postulate that direct activation of the coagulation cascade by the intraventricular metastasis probably triggered the coagulopathy in this patient. Conclusion: Cardiac metastases should be considered in cancer patients with otherwise unexplained DIC. This may influence treatment choices. © 2005 John and Davis; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
CITATION STYLE
John, T., & Davis, I. D. (2005). Ventricular metastasis resulting in disseminated intravascular coagulation. World Journal of Surgical Oncology, 3. https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7819-3-29
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