Beating-heart surgical treatment of tricuspid valve papillary fibroelastoma: A case report

Minimally invasive resection of heart valve papillary fibroelastoma: two case reports and review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Cardiac papillary fibroelastomas are rare, accounting for approximately 10% of all cardiac tumors, with 44% of cases located on the aortic valve and only 15% of cases located on the tricuspid valve. However, the optimal management of papillary fibroelastomas remains varied.

CASE PRESENTATION

We present two successful instances of treating heart valve papillary fibroelastomas through minimally invasive surgery. These cases involved heart valve papillary fibroelastomas located in two common sites: the aortic valve on the left heart, which was accessed via an upper hemi-sternotomy, and the tricuspid valve on the right heart, which was accessed via beating heart total thoracoscopy.

CONCLUSION

The article consistently demonstrates the effectiveness of a minimally invasive surgical approach in managing heart valve papillary fibroelastomas. This study provides further evidence by presenting two cases of heart valve papillary fibroelastomas - one on the aortic valve and the other on the tricuspid valve - that were successfully treated using this approach, resulting in favorable outcomes.

Concomitant minimally invasive surgery for tricuspid valve papillary fibroelastoma and right lung cancer in an elderly patient: a case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND

It is very common for patients with newly diagnosed lung masses to have heart disease. However, papillary fibroelastomas (PFEs) of the tricuspid valve (TV) combined with lung cancer are rarely reported. It is thus unclear whether a two-stage surgery or concomitant surgery is optimal.

CASE PRESENTATION

We report the case of a 73-year-old Chinese male who was diagnosed with PFEs on the TV by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) examination while being evaluated to undergo video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for a right lower lung nodule. We resected both the PFEs and the lung nodule via right minithoracotomy. The surgery was uneventful, and histopathology reports confirmed PFEs of the TV and moderately to poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. The patient recovered uneventfully, and there was no sign of tumor recurrence during 15 months of follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

We suggest that after careful evaluation, concomitant minimally invasive radical resection of primary lung cancer after cardiac PFE removal is an acceptable and safe treatment strategy and should be performed as soon as possible.