Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 16, 2025

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance for the Evaluation of Suspected Cardiac Thrombus: Conventional and Emerging Techniques
Published on: June 11, 2019
Calcified Amorphous Tumor of Left Ventricle: A Rare Cardiac Tumor
Rupesh Kumar1, Vikram Halder1, Soumitra Ghosh2
1Cardiothoracic Surgery, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, IND.
Insights
Cardiac calcified amorphous tumors (CATs) are rare, non-neoplastic heart masses. Diagnosis requires histopathology after surgical resection to prevent dangerous embolization.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pathology
Background:
- Cardiac calcified amorphous tumor (CAT) is an exceptionally rare, non-neoplastic cardiac mass.
- Few cases are documented, making it a diagnostic challenge.
Observation:
- A 46-year-old female presented with heart failure symptoms.
- Echocardiography revealed a mobile mass in the left ventricle.
- Cardiac MRI showed an isointense lesion.
Findings:
- Histopathology confirmed CAT, characterized by central fibrin and amorphous material with peripheral calcification.
- The mass was pedunculated, mobile, and attached to the intraventricular septum.
Implications:
- CAT diagnosis relies heavily on histopathological examination post-excision.
- Prompt surgical removal is crucial to prevent distal embolization.
- Distinguishing CAT from other cardiac masses like myxomas or thrombi is clinically significant.
Abstract:
Cardiac calcified amorphous tumor (CAT) is a rare, non-neoplastic, intra-cavity cardiac mass. Only a few cases have been described in the literature. A 46-year-old Indian female presented with decompensated heart failure. On echocardiography, 1.9 x 1.7 cm pedunculated mobile mass in the left ventricle attached to the intraventricular septum was seen. On cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the lesion was isointense. Histopathology of the excised mass revealed fibrin deposition with eosinophilic amorphous material in the center with the periphery of the lesion showing calcification without any myxomatous tissue. A final diagnosis of CAT of the heart was established. CAT is composed of calcium deposits in the background of amorphous degenerating fibrinous material. It presents as a pedunculated mass in any chamber of the heart with a very high preponderance of distal embolization. Differentiation from calcified atrial myxoma, calcified thrombi, or other cardiac neoplasms is very difficult. Histopathological examination is the mainstay of diagnosis. Treatment is emergency excision to prevent distal embolization. CAT is a rare non-neoplastic tumor, which is mainly a tissue diagnosis after its resection.
More Related Videos
13:10Direct Re-implantation of Left Coronary Artery into the Aorta in Adults with Anomalous Origin of Left Coronary Artery from the Pulmonary Artery ALCAPA
Published on: April 24, 2017
04:40Identifying Coronary Artery Calcification on Non-gated Computed Tomography Scans
Published on: August 28, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Cardiomyopathy III: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy I: Introduction and Classification
Structure of Cardiac Muscles
Compared to skeletal muscles, cardiac muscle cells are small and mostly have a single nucleus. Additionally, they are usually...
Cardiac Catheterization III: Left Heart Catheterization
Mitral Stenosis I: Introduction
Specialized Characteristics of Cardiac Muscles
Cardiac muscle cells are smaller than skeletal muscles, averaging 10–20 mm in diameter and 50–100 mm in length. However, they have large energy demands for continuous contraction and relaxation. This energy is almost exclusively derived from aerobic metabolism of energy...