Coronary and atrial compression by a giant cardiac hemangioma

Cardiovasc Pathol. 2014 Nov-Dec;23(6):366-8. doi: 10.1016/j.carpath.2014.06.005. Epub 2014 Jun 26.

Abstract

A 57-year-old asymptomatic man showed a round echo-dense mass, partially occupying the left atrium on echocardiography. Magnetic resonance localized the mass in the atrioventricular groove, inside the pericardial space, and showed a large hepatic mass too. Computed tomography revealed significant compression of the left main coronary artery and of the left pulmonary veins outlet. The tumor was surgically removed and diagnosed as hemangioma. Heart hemangiomas are extremely rare; they are usually asymptomatic but sometimes they grow rapidly, causing various symptoms. In our case, life-threatening compression of the left main coronary artery and of the pulmonary veins warranted the intervention.

Keywords: Cardiac imaging; Cardiac surgery; Cardiac tumors; Computed tomography; Hemangioma; Magnetic resonance imaging; Pathology.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Coronary Vessels / pathology
  • Echocardiography
  • Heart Atria / pathology
  • Heart Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Heart Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Hemangioma / diagnostic imaging
  • Hemangioma / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pulmonary Veins / pathology
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed