Right atrial chemodectoma with atypical chest pain: a 6-year surgical follow-up

Paragangliomas are rare neoplasms of neural crest origin and arise from the chromaffin (pheochromocytomas) or chemoreceptor (chemodectomas) tissues. Patients with cardiac chemodectomas, hormonally inactive paragangliomas, may have chest pain or various obstructive or compressive symptoms, depending on the location of the tumor. We report the case of a right atrial chemodectoma causing atypical chest pain. The tumor was discovered at transthoracic echocardiography. Coronary angiography showed a vascular tumor fed by a branch of the circumflex artery. En bloc tumor resection was carried out under cardiopulmonary bypass, with an uneventful surgical course. After 6 years of follow-up, the patient remains asymptomatic and disease-free.