[Papillary fibroelastoma: retrospective analysis. Clinical presentation and surgical results]

Papillary ibroelastomas are small benign intracardiac tumors known for their embolic potential. Since the introduction of echocardiography with improved resolution and transesophageal imaging techniques, they are being increasingly detected in clinical practice. In recent series, papillary fibroelastoma is considered the most frequent benign tumor of the heart. Our objective was to analyze characteristics and midterm surgical outcome of histologically-confirmed cases of papillary fibroelastoma. We conducted a retrospective study on patients with cardiac tumors submitted to surgical excision between June 1992 and February 2017. Out of 108 patients, 18 had papillary fibroelastomas. Their mean age was 58 years (22-77); 10 were men. The most frequent localizations were the aortic valve (7) and the mitral valve (5). None had significant valvular dysfunction. By transesophageal echocardiography, the tumor size (larger diameter) was 13.33 ± 5.55 mm (6.6-28.0). Two patients, both with tumor in the aortic valve, had suffered a stroke; other two had dyspnoea and atrial flutter, respectively. The remaining 14 patients were asymptomatic and their tumors were incidental findings. In 15 patients the valve was preserved. There was neither surgical mortality nor recurrence after 2.6 years of follow-up. In conclusion, most papillary fibroelastomas can be surgically removed with valve preservation and favorable clinical outcome. However, until the results of randomized trials support the decision, an aggressive surgical approach in asymptomatic patients needs to be defined in the context of surgical expertise.