Giant right atrial lipoma mimicking tamponade

Abstract

Cardiac lipomas are rarely encountered. They are mostly asymptomatic and may be discovered incidentally. We describe the case of a 56 year-old man with a presentation similar to tamponade. He had decreased heart sounds, global cardiomegaly, and oligemic lung fields. Echocardiography showed a 110 × 75-mm mass attached to the interatrial septum, almost completely occupying the right atrium. Chest computed tomography showed a large homogeneous low-attenuation mass with thin septa, originating from interatrial septum and filling the right atrium, consistent with lipoma. The patient underwent surgery for resection of the tumor. Pathologic examination was consistent with cardiac lipoma.

Giant Cardiac Lipoma: Refined Hypothesis Proposes Invagination from Extracardiac to Intracardiac Sites

“…12 The tumors are typically found incidentally, because most patients with a cardiac lipoma are asymptomatic; however, valvular obstruction, cardiac compression, arrhythmias, and peripheral embolization can occur. 13,14 Only a few epicardial lipomas have been reported within the atria or compressing the ventricles. 15 To our knowledge, nothing unequivocally explains the presence within either atrium of adipocytes that are most typically found in extracardiac locations.…”

A rare case of a intracardiac lipoma

“…Data search for cardiac lipoma was done and 14 articles were selected for review, which ranged from 1995 to 2013 in the english language describing right atrial lipomas. Below is the summary of the literature ( Table 1 , [2] , [3] , [4] , [5] , [6] , [7] , [8] , [9] , [10] , [11] , [12] , [13] , [14] , [15] ). Our patient’s lipoma on surgery was 6 cm × 6 cm which was intimately attached to the right side of the atrial septum and the right atrial free wall.…”

Cardiac lipoma in the interventricular septum: a case report

“…The clinical manifestations of cardiac lipoma depend on the location of the tumor, and may vary from valvular dysfunction to obstruction of a cardiac chamber, impeding the filling and emptying processes [ 9 ]. Symptoms may include heart failure, arrhythmia and syncope.…”