Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine

Our medical research library holds 7 studies published in Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine (2021–2026). Each entry links to the study's record on PubMed and, where there is one, to the publisher's page and a free full text. 7 have an abstract, the authors' own summary as PubMed records it: open "Abstract" to read it.

About the journal

• Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A
• Published: 2014 to the present, Switzerland
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2297-055X (electronic)
• Its record in the NLM Catalog

2020s

• Case Report: Rethinking pulmonary arterial hypertension: immune and metabolic adaptations in a 34-year case of insidious progression. B. Erickson-Keith. 2026;13:1727803. Case report PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

  Abstract

  Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is traditionally characterized as a rapidly progressive, fatal disease. Yet increasing evidence suggests that immune dysregulation, endothelial injury, and metabolic adaptation can sustain subclinical disease for decades before recognition.

  Case Presentation: We report a 73-year-old U.S. Army veteran with terminal PAH whose symptoms began in 1972-nearly fifty years before diagnosis. Despite a childhood splenectomy and extensive exposure to pulmonary toxins during a 21-year career in military aviation (JP-4/JP-8 fuels, asbestos, burn pits, and talc pleurodesis), no follow-up imaging was performed after retirement in 1992. After a 24-year gap, a 2016 chest x-ray revealed pulmonary artery enlargement consistent with pulmonary hypertension, but the finding was not pursued until 2021, when right-heart catheterization confirmed severe PAH with pulmonary artery pressures of 82/29 mm Hg (mean ≈47 mm Hg). A transthoracic echocardiogram in October 2025 demonstrated an estimated right-ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) of 66 mm Hg with right-atrial pressure 8 mm Hg, preserved biventricular function, normal ejection fraction (LVEF 68%), mild concentric left-ventricular hypertrophy, and only trace tricuspid and mitral regurgitation. Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels remained normal, suggesting right-ventricular metabolic adaptation rather than decompensation.

  Discussion: This case supports a model of slowly progressive PAH driven by chronic immune imbalance from asplenia, toxin-induced oxidative stress, and nitric-oxide scavenging by free hemoglobin. Over decades, these mechanisms produced endothelial remodeling while right-ventricular metabolism shifted toward glycolysis ("fetal-like" adaptation), delaying failure. The patient's trajectory parallels post-COVID data linking endothelial inflammation and microvascular injury to delayed pulmonary hypertension.

  Conclusion: PAH can evolve silently across decades in individuals with immune or hematologic dysregulation. Recognition of immune-metabolic phenotypes and early screening of asplenic or toxin-exposed populations may enable earlier intervention and alter the disease's natural history.

  © 2026 Erickson-Keith.

• Case Report: Extrapulmonary tuberculosis presenting as multiple caseous pericardial masses. J. Wang, R. Zhang, Z. Li, et al. 2025;12:1529400. Case report PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

  Abstract

  The diagnosis of tuberculous pericarditis presenting as a hemorrhagic pericardial effusion is not difficult to make, but the presence of multiple pericardial masses in tuberculous pericarditis is uncommon. The article reports a 55-year-old Asian woman with a 10-day history of fever, chest tightness and shortness of breath. Laboratory investigations revealed an elevated C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and echocardiography showed a small amount of pericardial effusion associated with multiple pericardial caseous masses (up to approximately 2.4 cm × 6.9 cm) without pericardial constriction. Ten ml of bloody pericardial effusion was punctured and sent for pathology without malignant cells, and malignant mesothelioma was excluded in combination with PET-CT results. The diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis was finally confirmed by a positive Mantoux test and positive tuberculosis immunoreactivity, and the patient is now receiving standardized anti-tuberculosis treatment in a specialist hospital. Nowadays, the diagnosis of tuberculous pericarditis is not difficult, but the symptoms of a concomitant giant mass are rare, and its nature and treatment options (including drugs or surgery) are worth exploring.

  © 2025 Wang, Zhang, Li, Fang and Zhang.

• Diagnostic trap: a case report of intimal sarcoma occurring in the left atrium. H. Ye, Y. Jing, S. Luo, et al. 2025;12:1509505. Case report PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

  Abstract

  Background: Intimal Sarcoma (IS) is an exceptionally rare and highly aggressive mesenchymal tumor with an uncertain origin. Its clinical and pathological characteristics are challenging to differentiate from other tumors based merely on histological and cytological morphology. Additionally, the immunohistochemical phenotype lacks specificity. Genomically, IS is distinguished by the amplification of the Mouse Double Minute 2 homolog (MDM2) gene. Presently, there are significant obstacles in clinical diagnosis and differential diagnosis of this condition.

  Case Demonstration: A 49-year-old male patient was hospitalized due to cough and dyspnea. An echocardiogram indicated a myxoma, leading to the performance of a partial cardiac tumor resection. Post-surgical pathological analysis revealed numerous spindle-shaped tumor cells organized in bundles. The cells displayed significant atypia, areas of necrosis, myxoid degeneration, and pathological mitotic figures. Immunophenotyping indicated positivity for Vimentin, Smooth Muscle Actin, and MDM2, focal positivity for ETS-Related Gene, and a Ki-67 index of 40%, with other markers being negative. Fluorescence in situ Hybridization genetic testing confirmed MDM2 gene amplification. The diagnosis was established as IS of the left atrium, World Health Organization grade 2. Post-surgery, six cycles of chemotherapy were administered. An 11-month follow-up period revealed tumor recurrence and progression, with multiple lesions but no distant metastases.

  Conclusions: A rare case of cardiovascular IS located in the left atrium has been documented. Diagnosing this condition poses significant challenges based solely on histological, cytomorphological, and immunophenotypic characteristics, as differentiation from angiosarcoma, malignant mesothelioma, synovial sarcoma, and myxofibrosarcoma is difficult. Consequently, diagnosing IS necessitates a comprehensive approach that integrates clinical presentation, echocardiography, and pathological examinations, encompassing morphology, immunohistochemistry, and genomic analysis. Surgical resection remains the primary treatment option. However, the rate of postoperative recurrence is high, and the prognosis remains poor. Adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy are suggested. In advanced cases, comprehensive immunotherapy methods may be employed to enhance patient survival rates and quality of life.

  © 2025 Ye, Jing, Luo and Wang.

• Case Report: A case of primary pericardial mesothelioma treated with multimodal combined therapy. J. Gong, X. Wu, J. Wang. 2024;11:1433668. Case report PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

  Abstract

  Background: Primary pericardial mesothelioma (PMPM) is a rare, aggressive, and lethal form of cancer. Due to its rarity, low incidence and poor prognosis, PMPM has no accepted standard-of-care treatment options with management and outcomes often extrapolated from diffuse pleural mesothelioma. Disease-specific studies are needed to better define PMPM. We report a case of PMPM highlighting the potential role for multimodal combined therapy.

  Case Report: The patient is a 62 years old female who had nonspecific syndromes and inconclusive image findings in May 2023. Then monthly follow-up echocardiography was performed. Two months later, cardiac ultrasound showed pericardial fluid. Pericardiocentesis with pericardial drain was performed. The fluid was bloody, cultivations for tuberculosis were negative and cytological analysis of the fluid showed no malignant cells. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography revealed that the lesion was localized at the anterior and left part of the mediastinum without distant metastasis. Followed up a pericardiectomy was operated. The diagnosis of PMPM is determined by pathological and immunohistochemical evaluation of tissue specimens. Postoperative patient experienced chest pain, right shoulder and upper limb swelling and pain. Pain management and anticoagulant therapy were administered. The patient underwent multimodal therapy consisting of surgical resection, six cycles of chemotherapy (carboplatin plus pemetrexed) in combination with pembrolizumab, and sequential adjuvant intensity-modulated radiation therapy, totaling 50 Gy in 25 fractions, as the first-line treatment, resulting in complete relief of symptoms and satisfactory outcomes with no complications. Presently, the tumor is under local control, with no signs of distant metastasis, and maintenance immunotherapy is scheduled. Continued observation is necessary for monitoring subsequent disease progression.

  Conclusion: PMPM represents a distinct disease with no universally accepted treatment options. The case suggests that multimodal treatment may improve outcomes in selected patients with PMPM.

  © 2024 Gong, Wu and Wang.

• Case Report: Primary malignant mesothelioma of the left atrium easily misdiagnosed as myxoma. S. Luo, Y. Li, J. Li, et al. 2024;11:1398311. Case report PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

  Abstract

  Background: Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a rare and aggressive tumor that is found in the pleura and peritoneum. A few cases of MM in the pericardium and tunica vaginalis testis have been reported. Moreover, primary occurrence in the atrium is extremely rare. The visual appearance of this tumor is similar to that of a common atrial myxoma, which makes it challenging for clinicians and radiologists to diagnose and treat this disease.

  Case Demonstration: An 18-year-old woman presented with symptoms of chest pain, shortness of breath, cough, and expectoration for 7 days. Echocardiography was performed on the patient, which revealed an atrial mass. Myxoma was one of the differential diagnoses. The tumor was an elliptical mass with tips, and the cut surface was jelly-like, similar to myxoma. After surgery, a pathologic examination of the biopsied tumor confirmed epithelial-type MM. During postoperative follow-up, no recurrence of the tumor was observed.

  Conclusions: MM originating in the atrium is considered to be extremely rare. Consequently, clinicians can easily misdiagnose atrial MM as a myxoma. Moreover, to confirm the diagnosis, histopathologic biopsy, histomorphological characterization, immunohistochemistry, and molecular genetic testing are required. Therefore, clinical diagnosis and treatment of MM are challenging.

  © 2024 Luo, Li, Li, Zeng and Wang.

• Case Report: Early diagnosis and bevacizumab-based chemotherapy for primary pericardial mesothelioma: a case with occupational asbestos exposure history. D. Wang, Y.H. Wang, S.C. Chu. 2023;10:1257373. Case report PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

  Abstract

  Background: Primary pericardial mesothelioma (PPM) is an exceedingly rare malignant cancer and has a poor prognosis, which has been partly attributed to its frequently delayed diagnosis due to its nonspecific syndromes, its similar presentation to benign pericardial diseases, and its non-definitive etiology. In many PPM cases, the time from presentation to definite diagnosis may last for several months or even over one year. Unlike pleural mesothelioma, the relationship between PPM and asbestos exposure remains unsettled. To date, there is no consensus on the treatment of PPM.

  Case Report: The patient is a 57-year-old male who had nonspecific syndromes and inconclusive image findings. The occupational long-term asbestos exposure history of this patient raised our concerns regarding potential malignancy when confronted with unexplained pericardial effusion accompanied by cardiac tamponade. The heightened suspicion prompted us to perform pericardiocentesis and biopsy on the third day after admission to our department. An early diagnosis of PPM was established by the pathological and immunohistochemical evaluation of the biopsy specimen two weeks after admission. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography revealed that the lesion was localized at the anterior part of the mediastinum without distant metastasis. This patient refused to receive cardiac surgery. He subsequently underwent six cycles of chemotherapy (cisplatin plus pemetrexed) in combination with bevacizumab (a humanized anti-VEGF antibody) as the first-line treatment, resulting in complete relief of symptoms and satisfactory outcomes with no complications. Four months after the first course, the patient initiated a second course of chemotherapy with a similar regimen, but he opted to discontinue the medical treatment after the initiation of the second course. The patient was transferred to the hospice care unit and unfortunately expired one year after the initial presentation.

  Conclusion: We present a case of an early multidisciplinary clinical approach to diagnose and manage PPM with consideration of occupational asbestos exposure history and clinical symptoms. Bevacizumab-based chemotherapy remains an option for the treatment of PPM.

  © 2023 Wang, Wang and Chu.

• Multimodal Diagnostic Workup of Primary Pericardial Mesothelioma: A Case Report. J. Liu, Z. Wang, Y. Yang, et al. 2021;8:758988. Case report PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

  Abstract

  Background: Primary pericardial mesothelioma is an extremely rare tumor, and early identification and accurate diagnosis may improve its clinical outcome. Case presentation: In this study, we reported a case of a 70-year-old woman who presented with dyspnea. Conventional transthoracic echocardiography showed massive pericardial effusion. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography revealed a hyper-enhancing mass in the pericardium. Further imaging methods, including cardiac MRI and positron emission tomography/computed tomography, showed invasion of the pericardial mass into the adjacent tissues and distant metastases. Pathologic examination of a puncture biopsy specimen finally confirmed the diagnosis of PPM. Conclusion: Pericardial masses are difficult to detect when a large amount of pericardial effusion is present and the mass is small. The combination of multiple modalities plays a meaningful role in identifying PPM.

  Copyright © 2021 Liu, Wang, Yang, Xiong, Wang, Qiu, Zhao and Zheng.

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