Description
The heart has been opened to display the walls of the left ventricle in which there are three discrete
nodules of tumour tissue. The tumour nodules each measure approximately 1cm in diameter.
Examination of the pericardial surface at the sides of the specimen shows that this too is infiltrated
by tumour, and more tumour nodules within myocardium are seen at the back of the specimen. A
further point to note is the anomalous origin of the right coronary artery (it arises higher up in the
ascending aorta than usual).
History
This woman died in 1975. In 1948, a “mucinous cystadenoma” of the left ovary was removed. In
1954 and 1955, metastatic deposits were found in the lungs (they were initially regarded as tuberculous
lesions). For various reasons it was not until 1958 that the lung lesions were resected. Histology was the
same as the lesion in the ovary. The patient seemed to manage very well, but was ultimately admitted to
hospital and died of pneumonia. There is no record of how wide-spread the metastases were, but the length
of survival from 1948 to 1975 is worthy of note. The long clinical history suggests that the ovarian tumour
might have been a borderline mucinous tumour.