Cardiac perforation and tricuspid regurgitation as a complication of percutaneous vertebroplasty.

Percutaneous vertebroplasty is a minimally invasive technique that is used to treat vertebral fractures, tumors and osteolytic vertebral metastases. However, cement leakage to the venous system is a potential source of serious complications after percutaneous vertebroplasty. We report a 65-year-old female patient who demonstrated cardiac perforation, pulmonary cement embolism, and tricuspid regurgitation, and these were all caused by venous leakage of polymethylmethacrylate as a complication of the procedure.

Surgical Planning by 3D Printing for Primary Cardiac Schwannoma Resection.

We report herein a case of benign cardiac schwannoma in the interatrial septum. A 42-year-old woman was transferred from a clinic because of cardiomegaly as determined by chest X-ray. A transthoracic echocardiography and chest computed tomography examination revealed a huge mass in the pericardium compressing the right atrium, superior vena cava (SVC), left atrium, and superior pulmonary vein. To confirm that the tumor originated from either heart or mediastinum, cine magnetic resonance imaging was performed, but the result was not conclusive. To facilitate surgical planning, we used 3D printing. Using a printed heart model, we decided that tumor resection under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) through sternotomy would be technically feasible. At surgery, a huge tumor in the interatrial septum was confirmed. By incision on the atrial roof between the aorta and SVC, tumor enucleation was performed successfully under CPB. Pathology revealed benign schwannoma. The patient was discharged without complication. 3D printing of the heart and tumor was found to be helpful when deciding optimal surgical approach.