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Successful early resection of cardiac papillary fibroelastomas
Hirotsugu Kurobe1, Tamotsu Kanbara, Homare Yoshida
1Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Institute of Health Biosciences, University of Tokushima Graduate School, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan. kurobe@clin.med.tokushima-u.ac.jp
Insights
Early surgical resection of cardiac papillary fibroelastomas is recommended. These benign tumors, detected via echocardiography, can cause serious events like transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) or angina-like symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Oncology
- Pathology
Background:
- Cardiac papillary fibroelastomas are rare, benign tumors.
- They can lead to embolic events and significant clinical symptoms.
Observation:
- Two adult patients presented with transient cerebral ischemic attacks (TIAs) or chest oppression.
- Echocardiography revealed swaying pedicled tumors in the left atrium and left coronary cusp.
Findings:
- Tumor extirpation was performed on both patients.
- Histological examination confirmed benign papillary fibroelastomas, confined to the endocardium/endothelium.
Implications:
- Early surgical intervention for cardiac papillary fibroelastomas is crucial.
- Prompt resection can prevent thromboembolic complications and improve patient outcomes.
Abstract:
Two adult patients with previous transient cerebral ischemic attacks (TIAs) or chest oppression were referred for further investigation. A swaying pedicled tumor was detected in the left atrium of the former patient and in the left coronary cusp of the latter by echocardiography. The TIA, or angina-like attack, was anticipated to be caused by thromboembolism of the tumor. Both patients underwent tumor extirpation. The histological findings demonstrated that both tumors were benign papillary fibroelastoma limited to the endocardium/endothelium layer. In conclusion, early surgical resection of a cardiac papillary fibroelastoma should be performed.