CASE REPORTS  CARDIAC SECTION 

The Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery 2005 December;46(6):589-91

Copyright © 2009 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Papillary fibroelastoma of the right atrium: an atypical presentation. A case report and review of the literature

Hindupur S. ¹, Schwabe J. L. ²

¹ Department of Internal Medicine Barnes-Jewish Hospital Washington University School of Medicine Saint Louis, MO, USA 2 Department of Thoracic Surgery Heartland Health System, Saint Joseph, MO, USA

Papillary fibroelastomas are a rare form of benign cardiac neoplasm. While the majority of these lesions are asymptomatic and found incidentally via echocardiography or cardiac catheterization, those occurring on left-sided structures may become clinically important producing symptoms of syncope, angina, myocardial infarction, and sudden death. These masses also have the propensity to embolize resulting in transient ischemic attacks and strokes. Most papillary fibroelastomas are found on valvular structures and currently there are only 4 published case reports of these lesions occurring in the right atrium. Of these reports, only 3 have been presented as arising on the right atrial free wall. This case report presents the 54th known case of a papillary fibroelastoma occurring in the right atrium and the 4th to be reported as developing from the right atrial free wall. A review of the literature as well as the histogenesis, diagnosis, and therapy of this rare entity are discussed.