[Cardiac papillary fibroelastoma]

Cardiac papillary fibroelastoma is a rare and histologically benign tumor. It is the most common valvular tumor and preferentially is found in the aortic valve (44% of the cases). They are typically smaller than 1 cm in diameter, and are characterized by having a fibrous core with elastic fibers, connective tissue and an endothelial lining. Papillary fibroelastoma are typically diagnosed incidentally during TEE. Tumor or thrombus embolizations may lead to severe complications such as stroke, myocardial infarction or even sudden death. In patients with the preoperative diagnosis of papillary fibroelastoma in addition to histories of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular injury require surgical resection to reduce the risk of future embolizations. The authors present two clinical cases of cardiac papillary fibroelastoma who were operated on in the Cardiothoracic Department from 2005 to 2006.