Vascular complications associated with a large cardiac fibroma

A case is reported of a 30-year-old patient with an intrapericardial tumour with heart failure. After the diagnostic protocol, surgery was performed initially without extra-corporeal circulation (ECC). Due to the location, size and to the large connection with the most important vascular structures, the ascending aorta ruptured accidentally during resection and was replaced after using ECC in emergency. The post-surgical course was regular and the tumour was identified histologically as a fibroma.