Intrapericardial Mature Cystic Teratoma in an Adult: Case Presentation

Cardiac Teratoma is a tumor of very rare occurrence in adult population. Here we report a case in a Caucasian male with history of Human immunodeficiency virus infection where the symptom as presentation was recurrent episodes of tachycardia. The chest radiograph showed a lesion in the right heart b...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical cardiology (Mahwah, N.J.) N.J.), 2013-01, Vol.36 (1), p.6-9
Main Authors: Cohen, Ronny, Mirrer, Brooks, Loarte, Pablo, Navarro, Victor
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cardiac Surgical Procedures - methods
Diagnosis, Differential
Echocardiography
Follow-Up Studies
Heart Neoplasms - diagnosis
Heart Neoplasms - surgery
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine
Male
Medical diagnosis
Middle Aged
Pericardium
Review
Reviews
Teratoma - diagnosis
Teratoma - surgery
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Tumors
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Summary:Cardiac Teratoma is a tumor of very rare occurrence in adult population. Here we report a case in a Caucasian male with history of Human immunodeficiency virus infection where the symptom as presentation was recurrent episodes of tachycardia. The chest radiograph showed a lesion in the right heart border and subsequent investigation revealed an intrapericardial lesion, which was demonstrated to be a pericardial teratoma diagnosed by histopathology. In this case the initial differential diagnosis included lymphoma or an infectious organism as possible causes in a immunocompromised patient. Cardiac teratomas are among the less common types of cardiac tumors being more frequent in child population and around 1% of all the cardiac tumors in adults. Imaging studies are very helpful. CT and MRI are the best due to their resolution and ability to assess the relationship of the mass with the surrounding structures. Echocardiogram in also helpful determining the presence of pericardial effusion because cardiac teratomas are most of the time present in the pericardium. The final diagnosis is mostly made after surgical excision and this is the most effective treatment because they are relatively resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The authors have no funding, financial relationships, or conflicts of interest to disclose.
ISSN:0160-9289
1932-8737
DOI:10.1002/clc.22051