Left atrial papillary fibroelastoma accidentally diagnosed with gastric cancer

Papillary fibroelastoma is a rare but benign cardiac tumor and usually originates from the cardiac valve. We describe a 78-year-old woman who was initially diagnosed with gastric cancer, and was incidentally found to have a mass in the free wall of her left atrium between the left atrial appendage and the left superior pulmonary vein. An excision was performed through the left atrial appendage under cardiopulmonary bypass. The histopathologic examination of the resected tissue revealed a papillary fibroelastoma. The unusual localization of this papillary fibroelastoma was discussed.