Small cardiac hemangioma: a challenge for diagnosis and dilemma for management.

Abstract

A small cardiac tumor in the left ventricle was discovered incidentally in a 53-year-old patient by echocardiography and was further confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging. A clinical diagnosis of "fibroelastoma or myxoma with an atypical location?" was made, and an uneventful surgical resection was carried out in consideration of the potential embolic risk. The histologic analysis revealed a capillary hemangioma. A posteriori, we reviewed the coronary angiography performed 2 years earlier and found a typical "tumor blush" sign. We discuss the diagnostic features of this case and the alternative approaches that could have been chosen, including a conservative approach with close follow-up.