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Published on: February 26, 2013
Cardiac hemangioma of the left atrial appendage: CT and MR findings
Hidekazu Oshima1, Masaki Hara, Taro Kono
1Department of Radiology, Nagoya City University Graduate School od Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan. eaaa2420@mb.infoweb.ne.jp
Insights
Cardiac hemangiomas are rare tumors. This case highlights CT and MR imaging findings of a left atrial appendage hemangioma, emphasizing diagnostic challenges in differentiating it from other cardiac or pericardial tumors.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Oncology
- Pathology
Background:
- Cardiac hemangiomas are uncommon benign neoplasms originating from the heart's muscle tissue.
- Primary cardiac tumors are rare, with hemangiomas representing a small subset.
Observation:
- A case of cardiac hemangioma originating from the left atrial appendage is presented.
- The tumor extended into the pericardial cavity, posing a diagnostic challenge.
Findings:
- Computed tomography (CT) revealed homogenous density.
- Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging demonstrated heterogeneous signal intensity.
- Inhomogeneous enhancement was observed after intravenous contrast administration.
Implications:
- Accurate differentiation of cardiac hemangiomas from other myocardial or pericardial tumors is crucial for diagnosis.
- Advanced imaging techniques like CT and MR are vital for characterizing cardiac neoplasms.
- Understanding the imaging characteristics aids in surgical planning and patient management.
Abstract:
Cardiac hemangiomas are rare, benign primary cardiac neoplasms. We describe the CT and MR imaging findings of a cardiac hemangioma arising from the myocardium of the left atrial appendage and protruding into the pericardial cavity. The tumor displayed homogenous density on CT, heterogeneous signal intensity on MR, and inhomogeneous enhancement after intravenous contrast administration. The hemangioma in this case was difficult to differentiate from other myocardial or a pericardial tumor.
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