Papillary fibroelastoma of the aortic valve

Abstract

Introduction: Primary tumors of the heart are rare, usually benign and occur mostly in adults, and usually originate from the endocardium, followed by the myocardium and rarest of the pericardium. Papillary fibroelastoma accounts for less than 10% of all cardiac tumors, but they are most common valvular tumors. The clinical presentation of papillary fibroelastoma varies from asymptomatic cases to cases which have severe clinical presentation that is most likely due to embolic complications. Tumor can usually be discovered by echocardiography or during autopsy.

Case report: We reported a case of 53-year-old man submitted to routine echocardiographic examination. The patient had the history of hypertension for five years, without any other symptoms. Echocardiography found a round tumor attached to the noncoronary cuspis of the aortic valve. The tumor was surgically removed and pathohistological examination confirmed diagnosis of papillary fibroelastoma. After surgery the patient fully recovered without tumor recurrence or aortic regurgitation.

Conclusion: Histologically, papilary fibroelastoma is benign tumor of the heart. As demonstrated in this case, a papillary fibroelastoma can be an incidental finding discovered during echocardiography in patients with the history of hypertension.