Advanced bronchogenic carcinoma presented as cardiac tamponade: a case report and a review of the literature.

Although most fatal lung tumors are well diagnosed before a patient's death, occasionally forensic pathologists encounter cases of sudden death in which the presence of a primary small cell lung carcinoma was not suspected. We present the case of a 49-year-old man asymptomatic until 2 days before his death. The autopsy revealed a huge tumorous mass originating from the central bronchus, infiltrating the large vessels, pulmonary parenchyma, pericardium, and the right ventricle of the heart.