Cardiac Tamponade as an Initial Manifestation of Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is the second most common malignancy worldwide in women and the third most common cause of cancer death indeveloping countries. This type of cancer spreads mainly to the lung, the bone, and the brain; however, the pericardium is anunusual site of invasion, which is associated with a poor prognosis. We present a case of a 35-year-old woman with six monthsof leg edema and abnormal uterine bleeding. During the initial evaluation, cardiac tamponade and a bilateral pleural effusionwere found. A left supraclavicular lymphadenopathy was identified on physical examination, while gynecological examinationand MRI were irrelevant. Initial cytology of the pericardialfluid showed a poorly differentiated carcinoma, and a cervical biopsyrevealed a squamous cell invasive carcinoma. Chemotherapy was started with carboplatin and paclitaxel, but no clinicalimprovement was noted and the patient died 46 days after arrival. Cardiac tamponade in a young female patient is a harbingerto widen the differential diagnosis to include not only infectious, cardiac, or metabolic etiology but also oncological causes sincethis will allow appropriate treatment