Cor Vasa 2016, 58(5):e484-e486 | DOI: 10.1016/j.crvasa.2016.04.005

Papillary fibroelastoma in the right ventricle

Kryštof Krása^a,*, Josef Bešík^b, Luděk Voska^c, Martin Malý^a

^a Interní klinika, 1. lékařská fakulta Univerzity Karlovy a Ústřední vojenská nemocnice - Vojenská fakultní nemocnice, Praha, Česká republika

^b Klinika kardiovaskulární chirurgie, Institut klinické a experimentální medicíny, Praha, Česká republika

^c Pracoviště klinické a transplantační patologie, Institut klinické a experimentální medicíny, Praha, Česká republika

Papillary fibroelastoma (PFE) is a rare primary cardiac tumor. Herein, we present a case of a 35-year-old asymptomatic female, who was examined using echocardiography due to arterial hypertension, which revealed a right ventricular (RV) mass. Surgical removal of the mass was performed, and histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of PFE, which is a very rare finding in this localization.
Learning objectives: PFE is a rare primary cardiac tumor. It usually affects the valvular endocardium. The RV is an extremely rare location, representing only 3.4% cases. Complications of PFE in the RV include pulmonary embolism due to thrombi formation on the fronds of the tumor. In asymptomatic patients with left-sided non-mobile type of papillary fibroelastoma, observation is usually sufficient. Mobile or larger tumors (>1 cm) carry a higher risk of complications and should be surgically removed.

Keywords: Cardiac tumor; Fibroelastoma; Right ventricle

Received: March 18, 2016; Accepted: April 14, 2016; Published: October 1, 2016  Show citation