An adult case with an abnormal right ventricular structure causing intraventricular pressure gradient and a history of aphthous stomatitis and thrombophlebitis

Pseudotumeur cardiaque révélant une maladie de Behçet

INTRODUCTION

Cardiac thrombosis is a rare complication of Behçet's disease (BD), which may present as a cardiac tumor. Its discovery precedes, in half of the cases, the diagnosis of BD. The high mortality may be associated to postsurgical complications and/or an associated involvement of pulmonary arteries.

CASE REPORT

We present the case of a 31 years old Caucasian French woman, with a history of venous thromboembolic disease, who had surgery after the discovery of a right ventricle tumor. That was an organised thrombus with endomyocardial fibrosis and a diagnosis of Behçet's disease was made after the surgery. The outcome was favourable under medical treatment associating corticosteroids, colchicine and antivitamin K (AVK), without relapse four years later.

CONCLUSION

The discovery of an intracardiac mass in a young patient must evoke the diagnosis of cardiac thrombus and Behçet's disease, even in the absence of predisposing ethnic or geographic factor.