Cardiac hemangioma in the left ventricle and brief review of the literature.

ABSTRACT

Cardiac hemangiomas are very rare benign cardiac tumors. They can present at any age and clinical presentation varies according to location and size. Most common symptoms include shortness of breath, palpitations, atypical chest pain and arrhythmia. The natural history of these tumors is unpredictable. They can regress, cease growing or proliferate over time. Diagnosis is usually made with echocardiography and surgical resection is the treatment of choice. Follow-up is recommended to identify any recurrence. We report a case of a 38-year-old man who presented with fatigue and palpitations. Echocardiography revealed a mobile spherical mass within the left ventricle, whereas left ventriculography showed an intracavity-filling defect without any tumor blushing. The tumor was removed surgically through the left atrium. It was a smooth oval nodule with a pedicle that was attached to the top of a papillary muscle. Microscopy revealed the presence of numerous vessels within fibrous tissue that ranged from lobules of capillary hemangioma to large thin-walled cavernous vessels, compatible with a hemangioma of mixed capillary-cavernous type. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course and recovered quickly.