Papillary fibroelastoma of a mitral valve chorda

Cardiac papillary fibroelastoma of the mitral chorda

We describe a case of cardiac papillary fibroelastoma in a 33-year-old man. The diagnosis was established by echocardiography. Computerised tomographic angiography gave no evidence of coronary stenosis, but illustrated a radiopaque filling defect in the left ventricle. The papillary fibroelastoma was removed together with the involved chorda, and an artificial chord was implanted under cardiopulmonary bypass. Histological study confirmed the diagnosis of papillary fibroelastoma. Due to the potentials of cerebral and coronary embolisation, surgical management to the patients with a papillary fibroelastoma is highly recommended.

Excision of a cardiac papillary fibroelastoma with the use of a fiberscope

Cardiac papillary fibroelastoma (CPF) is a histologically benign tumor that can cause a significant embolic event. CPF is usually located on the endocardium, and is found on valves in 90% of cases. We experienced an unusual case of CPF situated on a left ventricular anterolateral papillary muscle. An 84-year-old female who had developed cerebellum infarction five months previously underwent surgical resection of CPF. During surgical resection of the tumor, a fiberscope was useful for detecting the lesion, and allowed us to ensure complete resection with a good surgical view. Our experience encourages us to use the fiberscope when resecting other intracardiac masses, including thrombi.

Three-dimensional echocardiography of intracardiac masses

We describe two cases in which three-dimensional echocardiography provided unique anatomical data. This information enhanced the diagnostic power of two-dimensional echocardiography by improving confidence in interpretation and by providing distinctive spatial insights.