Malignant pericardial effusion as a primary manifestation of metastatic colon cancer: a case report.

Background: Pericardial neoplastic involvement is rarely related to primary tumors of the pericardium and is most often caused by spread from other primary sites, such as lung and breast carcinomas, hematological malignancies (lymphoma and leukemia), and melanoma. Although pericardial metastasis from infradiaphragmatic tumors (such as colon cancers) are rare and poorly described in literature, any neoplasm has the potential to metastasize to the pericardium and heart by either contiguity, lymphatic, or hematological spread.

Case Presentation: A 44-year-old previously healthy male Causasian patient had a sudden onset of dyspnea and wheezing.