Key result
Surgical excision for cardiac calcified amorphous tumors carries a ~3% operative mortality rate.
Why the study?
Cardiac calcified amorphous tumours are rare non-neoplastic intracardiac masses that clinically mimic thrombi or neoplasms, with uncommon presentation in young women.
Cardiac calcified amorphous tumors are rare, potentially embolic intracardiac masses that often require multimodality imaging for diagnosis and surgical excision for definitive treatment.
Supports consideration of surgical excision for cardiac calcified amorphous tumors; leaves open definitive recommendations pending higher-level evidence.
Background: Cardiac calcified amorphous tumours (CATs) are rare non-neoplastic intracardiac masses characterized by calcified nodules within an amorphous fibrinous matrix and may clinically mimic thrombi or cardiac neoplasms. We report two uncommon cases of right atrial CAT occurring in young women and provide a narrative review of the literature. Methods: Two patients with right atrial CAT underwent multimodality imaging evaluation, including echocardiography, computed tomography, and cardiac magnetic resonance, followed by surgical excision and histopathological examination. A narrative review of published cases identified through PubMed and Embase between 1972 and 2025 was also performed. Results: The first patient presented with a calcified right atrial mass extending into the superior vena cava, associated with superior vena cava syndrome and autoimmune disease. The second patient, affected by end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis and thrombophilia, presented with a large calcified right atrial mass associated with a retained dialysis catheter fragment. Histopathological examination confirmed CAT in both cases. The literature review identified 112 published reports comprising 143 patients, including the two cases presented herein, highlighting frequent associations with end-stage renal disease, mitral annular calcification, and embolic complications. Conclusions: Cardiac CAT remains a rare and likely underrecognized entity with heterogeneous clinical presentation and significant embolic potential. Multimodality imaging is essential for diagnosis and surgical planning, while early surgical excision should be considered in symptomatic or high-risk patients.
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Grande et al. (2026) conducted a review in Cardiac calcified amorphous tumors (CATs) (n=143). Surgical excision was evaluated on Operative mortality. Surgical excision was the predominant treatment strategy in 86% of patients with cardiac calcified amorphous tumors, associated with an operative mortality of 2.8%.
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