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Updated: May 5, 2026

Identifying Coronary Artery Calcification on Non-gated Computed Tomography Scans
Published on: August 28, 2018
Caseous calcification of the mitral annulus
Fabian Plank1, Donya Al-Hassan, Giang Nguyen
1Department of Radiology, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada; ; Department of Radiology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria;
Insights
A case of atypical mitral annular calcification presented as an obstructive mass in the left ventricular outflow tract. This benign condition, typically found elsewhere, was diagnosed via cardiac computed tomography (CT) and surgery was deferred.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Cardiac Pathology
Background:
- Echocardiography is crucial for diagnosing cardiac masses and valve abnormalities.
- Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction can result from various intracardiac masses.
Observation:
- A 61-year-old woman presented with an asymptomatic systolic murmur.
- Echocardiography revealed an echodense mass in the left ventricular outflow tract.
- Cardiac CT confirmed a calcified mass on the anterior mitral valve leaflet.
Findings:
- The mass was diagnosed as caseous calcification, a benign condition.
- This represented an atypical location for caseous calcification, which commonly affects the mitral annulus.
Implications:
- Accurate diagnosis through advanced imaging (echocardiography and CT) is vital for appropriate management.
- Recognizing atypical presentations of benign conditions like caseous calcification can prevent unnecessary surgical intervention.
- This case highlights the importance of considering varied etiologies for left ventricular outflow tract obstruction.
Abstract:
A 61-year-old asymptomatic woman was referred for echocardiography to evaluate recently detected systolic murmur. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed an echodense obstructive mass in the left ventricular outflow tract of unclear origin. Subsequent transesophageal echo suggested an intracardiac calcified tumor and recommended surgical excision. Contrast-enhanced cardiac computed tomography (CT) confirmed a well-defined lobulated mass adherent to the anterior mitral valve leaflet, the non-enhanced scout view revealed marked hyper-attenuation confirming diffuse calcification. Caseous calcification was diagnosed and surgery was deferred. Caseous calcification is typically benign and most commonly involves the posterior mitral annulus. Our patient displayed an atypical location of exuberant mitral annular calcification.
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