A Cardiac Approach to Wilms Tumor with Tumor Thrombus Extension to the Right Atrium Without Cardiopulmonary Bypass: A 5-Year Follow-up

Abstract

Introduction: Wilms tumor is the most common kidney cancer in children, but Wilms's tumors that extend by direct intravascular spread into the right side of the heart are rare and at this stage, they require the cardiac surgeons’ intervention. Case Presentation: The patient was a 2-year-old girl who was hospitalized due to fever and abdominal pain that had started 2 weeks before admission. Patient’s full abdominal exams revealed a large mass in the right kidney with a thrombus tumor in the entire inferior vena cava which was extended into the right atrium. Patient completed 8 weeks of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. After chemotherapy no changes was noted in renal mass and tumor thrombus. As, the thrombosis in the atrium was loose and there was a high risk of pulmonary embolism, emergency surgery was needed. Two pediatric and cardiac teams, simultaneously performed the surgery without cardiopulmonary bypass and cardiac arrest. Both kidney mass and the thrombus tumor were completely removed. Patient followed up for 5 years after surgery and no surgical complications, tumor recurrence, or metastasis were observed during that period. Conclusions: Although surgical intervention and tumor resection leads to good prognosis, multimodality management and multidisciplinary approach gives the best results.