Abstract
Cardiac masses are rare entities that present with a very varied spectrum of manifestations ranging from asymptomatic to severe hemodynamic compromise. They mainly correspond to benign neoplastic lesions; however, other pathologies may occur. The availability of high-definition imaging techniques has increased early detection. Nevertheless, these techniques do not allow the characterization and reliable differentiation of the nature of the mass. We describe a patient with no cardiovascular history with a chronic dyspnea, in whom the presence of a cardiac mass attached to the ventricle with slight deformation of the right cavities was identified by imaging studies. The patient underwent surgical resection, which confirmed the presence of lipoma by histopathology. This finding is the rarest of all benign cardiac tumors.
Plain language summary
Cardiac lipomas are rare benign tumors of the heart. They are usually asymptomatic, but when symptoms occur, they are usually nonspecific, so it is necessary to consult an internist, cardiologist or pulmonologist for proper study, identification and treatment. Multimodal images are very useful in these cases.
Papers of special note have been highlighted as: • of interest
References
- 1. . Cardiac tumors. I. General considerations. Benign primary tumors. Rev. Esp. Cardiol. 51(1), 10–20 (1998).
- 2. . Pathology, imaging, and treatment of cardiac tumours. Nat. Rev. Cardiol. 14(9), 536–549 (2017).
- 3. . Cardiac masses: record of the experience in a high complexity center. Rev. Col. Cardiol. 26(1), 3–9 (2019).
- 4. Value of CMR for the differential diagnosis of cardiac masses. JACC Cardiovasc. Imaging 7(9), 896–905 (2014).
- 5. Primary cardiac tumors. Rev. Col. Cardiol. 10, 472–485 (2003).
- 6. . Primary and secondary neoplasm of the heart. Am. J. Cardiol. 80, 671–682 (1997).
- 7. . A large epicardial lipoma: an insight into the surgical anatomy of the interatrial septum. Int. J. Cardiol. 25, 119–121 (1989).
- 8. . From pathogenesis to treatment, a systemic review of cardiac lipoma. J. Cardiothorac. Surg. 16, 1 (2021). • Recent review that analyzes the existing knowledge on cardiac lipomas.
- 9. . The value of multimodality imaging in diagnosis and treatment of cardiac lipoma. BMC Med. Imaging 21(1), 71 (2021). • Cardiac lipomas can be sensitively detected and accurately diagnosed with multiple noninvasive imaging tools.
