Cardioembolic stroke due to papillary fibroelastoma

Abstract

Papillary fibroelastoma (PFE) is a rare primary benign cardiac tumor with significant embolic potential. Diagnosis and requisite surgical treatment may be neglected unless transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is performed. A 72-year-old man with hypertension and diabetes had a right middle cerebral artery stroke of unclear cause after standard work-up. Subsequent TEE indicated an aortic valve PFE. The TEE may be the only diagnostic modality to identify embolic lesions such as PFE and must be strongly considered in cryptogenic large vessel stroke.