[Acute abdominal pain due to a cardiac tumor]

Primary cardiac tumors are rare. Myxomas are the most prevalent benign primary cardiac tumors, followed by papillary fibroelastomas. These tumors can cause local cardiac complications, but also thromboembolic events. This case report describes an aortic valve tumor, causing embolic complications at two rare locations.

A 43-year-old female patient came to the emergency department with abdominal pain and shortly after chest pain with associated ECG abnormalities. CT angiography and transesophageal echocardiography revealed a tumor located at the aortic valve. The tumor caused thromboembolic complications in the left coronary artery and the right kidney. Valve-sparing excision of the tumor was performed. Histology revealed sclerosed material with myxoid degeneration.

Unexplained thromboembolic events, particularly with multiplicity in time and location, are suspicious for a cardiac source of embolism. Cardiac tumors should be part of the differential diagnosis of cardiac sources of embolism. After diagnosis, tumor resection is the preferred treatment.