Publication Date
1-1-2021
Journal
The Texas Heart Institute Journal
DOI
10.14503/THIJ-19-7088
PMID
33946109
Publication Date(s)
January 2021
Language
English
PMCID
PMC8108712
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
5-4-2021
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-Print
Published Open-Access
yes
Keywords
Anticoagulants/therapeutic use, atrial appendage, fibroma/complications/diagnosis/pathology/surgery/therapy, heart atria/diagnostic imaging, heart neoplasms, diagnosis, multimodal imaging, stroke/etiology, thromboembolism/prevention & control, treatment outcome
Copyright
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Abstract
Papillary fibroelastomas are benign tumors that usually originate from cardiac valves but may have other endocardial origins. We report the cases of 2 patients in whom left atrial appendage masses were initially diagnosed as thrombus. They were treated for embolic stroke and their symptoms resolved; however, their left atrial appendage masses did not regress. After surgery, histologic analysis of the resected masses revealed papillary fibroelastoma in both cases. We discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas encountered in patients with papillary fibroelastomas and cardiac masses other than thrombus.