Long-term conservative management of a giant cardiac fibroma

Martial Massin1, Abderrahmane Fazia Ould, Caroline Jacquemart

  • 1Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Queen Fabiola Children's University Hospital, Free University of Brussels (ULB), Belgium. martial.massin@huderf.be

Acta Cardiologica
|November 29, 2013
PubMed

Insights

A giant cardiac fibroma in an infant was managed conservatively due to surgical unfeasibility. The mass remained stable, leading to an asymptomatic outcome with long-term follow-up.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Pediatric Oncology
  • Cardiac Surgery

Background:

  • Giant cardiac fibromas are rare, benign tumors that can present in infancy.
  • Early diagnosis and management are crucial for favorable outcomes.

Observation:

  • A 2-week-old infant presented with a soft systolic murmur, later diagnosed with a large intraventricular cardiac fibroma.
  • Tumor progression led to failure to thrive and ventricular arrhythmia between 2 and 18 months of age.

Findings:

  • Complete surgical resection was deemed unfeasible; conservative management with heart failure and antiarrhythmic medications was initiated.
  • At 5 years old, all medications were discontinued as the mass remained stable and the patient became asymptomatic.

Implications:

  • Conservative management may be a viable option for selected pediatric cardiac fibroma cases.
  • Close, long-term patient monitoring is essential for evaluating tumor stability and clinical status.

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