Primary cardiac lymphoma (PCL), an extranodal lymphoma involving only the heart (with possible involvement of the pericardium) is a rare entity, accounting for 2% of primary cardiac tumors and 0.5% of extranodal lymphomas. It is more frequent in males; clinical presentation is predominated by cardiac symptoms. The most common histology is Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL). Being DLBCL the most frequent histology, patients are usually treated with R-CHOP (rituximab - cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone) or R-CHOP-like chemoimmunotherapy regimens, with an historically poor outcome, although in the last years survival rates significantly increased. Due to the rarity of this condition, isolated case reports and a few reviews have been published so far, that in most cases included a population collected in a wide period of time, heterogeneously managed both in terms of treatments received and follow-up, and who often did not strictly respect the criteria of PCL. Indeed, while some aspects of PCL are well-known, especially the ones concerning its clinical presentation, a few topics deserve more in-depth analysis. The rationale of this study is to provide an overview on PCL in Italy, trying to shed light on unknown aspects of the disease and on unanswered questions about its management that could be helpful in clinical practice.
The rationale of this study is to provide an overview on PCL (Primary Cardiac Lymphoma) in Italy, trying to shed light on unknown aspects of the disease and on unanswered questions about its management that could be helpful in clinical practice.