Lymphangioma of the heart as a rare tumor: A case report

Cardiac Masses and Pseudomasses: An Overview about Diagnostic Imaging and Clinical Background

A cardiac lesion detected at ultrasonography might turn out to be a normal structure, a benign tumor or rarely a malignancy, and lesion characterization is very important to appropriately manage the lesion itself. The exact relationship of the mass with coronary arteries and the knowledge of possible concomitant coronary artery disease are necessary preoperative information. Moreover, the increasingly performed coronary CT angiography to evaluate non-invasively coronary artery disease leads to a rising number of incidental findings. Therefore, CT and MRI are frequently performed imaging modalities when echocardiography is deemed insufficient to evaluate a lesion. A brief comprehensive overview about diagnostic radiological imaging and the clinical background of cardiac masses and pseudomasses is reported.

Successful palliative resection of giant epimyocardial lymphatic malformation with 14 years of follow-up: a case report

BACKGROUND

Primary tumors of the heart are a rare phenomenon. Lymphatic malformations are congenital anomalies of the lymphatic system that tend to grow progressively. Lymphatic malformations are typically found in the cervical and axillary regions and found on pediatric patients. We report a 40-year-old woman with giant epimyocardial lymphatic malformation.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 40-year-old woman was assessed due to suspected traumatic cardiac tamponade. Computed tomography of the heart and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging were compatible with either a large pericardial hemangioma or angiosarcoma. The tumor infiltrated deeply into the myocardium and could only be partially resected. Histopathological diagnosis was a cardiac lymphatic malformation with micro- and macrocystic components. The patient has remained asymptomatic for fourteen years after the surgery. In the latest follow-up, her left ventricular function had remained normal and the maximum thickness of the residual tumor had regressed.

CONCLUSIONS

Even when a complete removal of a cardiac lymphatic malformation is not possible, a debulking procedure can yield a good long-term result.

Case Report: Long-Term Outcome Following Maximal Partial Resection in a Primary Pericardial Lymphangiohemangioma

Introduction: Cardiac tumors are significantly rare, with pericardial lymphangiohemangioma amongst the rarest cardiac tumor types, with very few reported cases in the literature. Clinically, lymphangiohemangiomas are generally deemed unresectable due to their proximity to the myocardium and the uncertainty of the outcomes following subtotal resection.

Case Report: Herein, we report a case of a 40-year-old man diagnosed with a pericardial mass, dull thoracodorsal pain, and over a 10-years history of palpitation. Notably, the pericardial mass in the present case was found extended within the myocardium. Thus, a maximal safe resection was deemed preferable to a total resection. The surgically resected specimen showed pathological characteristics of a lymphangiohemangioma. After surgical resection of the lymphangiohemangioma, the patient was free of any tumor-related symptoms. Also, there was no evident tumor progression after a 4-year post-operative follow-up.

Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, the present case study is the first in the literature to report on a long-term post-operative outcome following subtotal resection of a pericardial lymphangiohemangioma.